


Steal the Truth, Reach Out For Your Heart

by chrising



Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Mash-up, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:14:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 187
Words: 178,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25063726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chrising/pseuds/chrising
Summary: April of 2020, Ren Amamiya has a chance encounter with Masayoshi Shido that sends his life careening out of control.In February of 2021, just months before he leaves his hometown of Inaba to head to Tokyo, he has a chance encounter with classmate Nanako Dojima.When Nanako finds out Ren is being forced to leave for the big city, she can't let go of the injustice.And follows him.--This is a what-if: What if the "small town" that Joker lived in was Inaba? What if the XX in 20XX was 2021, 10 years after the events of Persona 4? What if Nanako still needed to settle the shadows of the events of her childhood?It's Showtime!
Relationships: Kujikawa Rise/Narukami Yu, Nanako Dojima & Ren Amamiya, Nanako Dojima & Yusuke Kitagawa
Comments: 1043
Kudos: 712
Collections: Marigolds Discord Recs





	1. 2/14 - Morning

Monday, February 14

MORNING

“Nanako-chan, did you make chocolates for anyone?”

Nanako Dojima looked up from her phone, caught off-guard by the question.

“Oh, uh, no! Not this year!” she said with a big smile. The two girls sitting in front of her, Hana and Hanako, weren’t really Nanako’s friends, but they were friendly enough. Hanako looked disappointed.

“Aw. I thought for sure if anyone was going to have a special someone for Valentine’s Day it’d be you.”

“Me?”

“Well, obviously,” said Hana. “You’re beautiful, smart, nice, a well-respected member of the student council. You’re a total catch.”

“Aha, you’re being too nice,” said Nanako. “Besides, I don’t really have time for a boyfriend right now.”

“Such a dependable thing to say,” Hanako said with a dreamy sigh. “If I were more like you, maybe I’d have a boyfriend…”

The morning chime rings and the class settles down. The door swung open and the homeroom teacher strode in confidently - if a tiny bit late.

“Good morning, class.”

The class answered in unison:

“Good morning, Hanamura-sensei.”

And another day began.

Maybe it was because it was homeroom and Yosuke was her teacher, or maybe because it was Valentine’s Day, or maybe it was because of the dreams she was having lately, but Nanako couldn’t concentrate. Her mind felt like it was in a fog, drifting from thought to thought, never quite coalescing into a meaning train.

Everything felt empty.

Empty was a good word for it. Once the word crossed her mind, she realized it described the feeling she’d been having for a while.

As the Hanas had said, Nanako was doing well. Her grades and class ranking were good, she was well-liked, she had a lot of responsibility in the student council, she even did well on the volleyball team. By all markers of modern Japanese society, she should be happy - riding the high of being on top of her game. And sure, maybe she didn’t have a pile of chocolate on her desk, but that wasn’t what she was missing, either. There had been a couple of boys who had flirted with her early in the year, but she had shut that down immediately. She could have led that along, if getting a boyfriend had been important to her.

But it wasn’t.

Nor was doing well in school, or being liked by her classmates.

Nanako went through the motions, because she was expected to, and she cared enough to not ruin her future by slacking off.

But where was the meaning?

She flipped her notebook open to a blank page and started making a list.

“Things that are important.”

Number one: Dad.

Ryotaro Dojima was still a cop through and through, but things had gotten so much better in the last ten years. Especially seven years ago.

Number two: Mom.

Against all odds, Ryotaro Dojima had fallen in love when Nanako was 8. And against all odds, he got married when Nanako was 9. Her name was Kaho, and if Nanako had sat down and written a list of traits she wanted in a mother, she would’ve had a perfect score. She was kind to Nanako, loved her father enough to be stern with him when he needed it and yet care for him and his tremendous stress. She was an amazing cook, loved to go on day trips and vacations, and make even the simple things a celebration.

Nanako remembered when she was ten when she asked if she could call Kaho “mom.” Not that Nanako felt any disrespect to her birth mother, Chisato, but…her memory had already started to fade by then. Nanako had been so young when she died. But Kaho worked hard to always honor Chisato during important holidays, and the whole family always celebrated her birthday.

Number three: Big bro.

Yu was back in Tokyo, living the city life and working on his career. He came to Inaba often, though, and her fondness for Yu had never faded.

Even if she had since backed off her childhood dreams of marrying him.

Number four, in no particular order: Chie, Yukiko, Kanji, Rise, Naoto, Teddie, and Yosuke. The rest of her family, the people she could count on day or night, no matter how far awaythey were or how long it had been since they talked.

Number five: ____.

She thought for a few minutes, but couldn’t think of a number five.

And maybe that was the problem.

She hadn’t found anything for herself that was important.

Her closest friends were actually big bro’s friends - people that were ten years older than her and in the middle of building their careers. And while she loved them dearly, and they her, they weren’t…peers. Somehow in that bizarre summer of 2011, they had become bonded together.

If Nanako was honest with herself, she had to admit that she’d been waiting for the same thing to happen to her. She figured that once she got to high school, she’d find her own group - just like big bro and his friends.

But they didn’t appear.

“Didn’t appear _yet_ ,” Nanako whispered to herself. There was still time. She was ending her first year, but there were two more to go. Maybe being amazing would pay off in the long run and she’d find her forever friends.

“Dojima,” the kid in front of her whispered. She looked up from her notebook and saw that he was passing back a worksheet.

“Sorry,” Nanako whispered and took her assignment.


	2. 2/14 - Lunchtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako springs into action as a member of the student government. Justice must prevail!

“Dojima-san! There’s a problem!”

Nanako looked up from her lunch. Two girls from class 1-C had just burst into the room, looking a little out of breath. She ran through her mental list: Emiko Ito and Fumi Gara. She didn’t know either personally, so this must be a student government issue.

“How can I help?” Nanako asked. Ito looked around, then leaned in close to whisper.

“We were just peeped on. And I think he took pictures, too.”

Nanako got to her feet immediately, scowling.

“Who?”

“It was Okura,” Gara whispered.

Sadao Okura, class 1-B. Nanako was in his class in middle school. He was a quiet kid, smaller than most of the other boys, and preferred to read than join in any school events. Nanako had a few conversations with him in middle school, and he’d always been polite. Peeping seemed out of character for him - but she had to admit that she didn’t really know him.

“I’ll handle this,” Nanako declared. Both of the girls looked relieved, and Nanako knew why. Accusing someone like that, without proof, could be messy. If Nanako did it on behalf of them and the student government, Nanako would be protected from retaliation.

It made Nanako angry to think that the system was so stacked against the victims, but she didn’t have time to fume about it now. She strode out of her classroom and into the hallway. First she went to Okura’s classroom, but he wasn’t there.

Maybe he snuck off to the library?

She went to the second floor, but he wasn’t there either. And the allotted lunch time was running out.

The roof?

It was what her gut told her, and seeing as she didn’t have any other leads, she went with it. She rushed up the stairs and pushed onto the roof.

Okura was perched beneath one of the solar panels, clutching his head.

“Okura!” Nanako yelled, pointing her finger across the distance. There wasn’t anyone else on the roof.

“A-ah! Dojima-san!” Okura stumbled, trying to get off the solar panel, but instead he hit his head on the underside of the panel. His glasses skittered across the roof. He fell to his hands and knees, groping around for the glasses while still wincing from his head.

“Why would you do something like that? You know you’ll have to turn yourself in, right?”

“I-I didn’t do it!” he yelped, practically squeaking. “Dojima, you have to help me, I’m being framed!”

Nanako paused and examined her suspect. “The truth comes slowly” her dad had always told her. If she rushed to conclusions, then she might miss out on a clue. If she waited a little, he might give himself up.

“Explain, then,” Nanako said, crossing her arms.

“I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was walking down the hallway, past the classroom. All the guys were outside waiting for the girls to finish changing. Then Ueno slid the door open and took a bunch of pictures with his phone. The speakers was still on and the sound of the click was still very audible. It just so happened that I was looking at my phone at the same time. Before I could do anything, Ueno grabbed me and yelled that I was the one peeping and taking pictures.”

Daizo Ueno, son of a local politician and all-around irritating rich asshole. Nanako had the distinct displeasure of seeing him at a few events the police held every year. He hit on every girl he met and acted like he was doing them a favor.

“Let me see your phone,” Nanako said.

“Huh? Why?”

“If you didn’t do it, you wouldn’t have pictures on your phone,” she said. Okura nodded slowly and reached into his pocket, handing it to her.

“B-but, it’s been about twenty minutes, isn’t that enough time to delete the pictures?”

“Mm, true, but there’s always data ghosts we could look for. For the record, Okura, I believe you. I still need to bring this to the principal, but once we show him your clean phone and Ueno’s probably-dirty phone, it’ll all get sorted out.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Nanako said with a reassuring smile. “Let me hold onto the phone in the meantime, just so we can prove you didn’t tamper with it.”

“Okay, that’s a good idea,” Okura said. His breathing was starting to get under control again.

“Don’t worry, Okura. Justice will be served.”


	3. 2/14 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako struggles with a broken school administration. She meets a trickster at a shrine.

AFTER SCHOOL

“I’m afraid we’ll have to contemplate expulsion over this,” the principal said.

Okura looked like he was going to fall over and die.

“What?!” Nanako yelled. It took every ounce of self-control she had to not leap out of the chair. “But didn’t you hear what I said? Ueno was the one who took the pictures, I’ve had Okura’s phone all day.”

“But that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have deleted the pictures,” the principal said dryly.

“That can be checked. The police have methods of looking for data ghosts - traces of old information that remains on a computer or phone even after it’s been deleted.”

“Ms. Dojima, I don’t have any intention of bothering the police with a school matter.”

“My father is a detective, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind-”

“Dojima,” the principal interrupted. “You’ve done your duty as a member of the student government, and I thank you for that. However, this is now no longer your concern. This is now a matter for Okura and his parents. You must leave.”

Nanako stood. She opened her mouth.

The rage inside her belly felt like it could incinerate the whole school. But she said nothing.

“Yes sir,” she said. She turned around, but looked at Okura before walking out.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“You tried. Thank you,” Okura said. He voice quavered.

Nanako went into the hallway before the tears could escape. They felt boiling hot on her cheeks, as if superheated by her rage.

Ueno.

She stormed down the stairs and through the front gates of Yasogami High. Ueno was sauntering down the street with a couple of his buddies when Nanako caught up to him.

“Ueno! You liar!”

The group of guys turned around.

“Oh snap, Daizo, I didn’t know you got it in with Dojima. Nice!”

“Looks like you pissed her off though, what’d you do?”

“Hey man, be careful, her dad’s a cop.”

Ueno ignored the comments.

“What’s up, Nana-chan?”

“Don’t call me that. And you know what’s up. You took some pictures of the girls in 1-C, then you blamed it on Okura!”

“Did I?”

“You did, and you know it. You have to go in and tell them the truth, the principal is talking about expelling Okura!”

“So? Shouldn’t he be expelled? Sexual harassment is a big deal. He should be punished for those horrible acts.”

“But you’re the one that committed them! He’s innocent, and you’re about to ruin his life!”

“So you want me to ruin mine, instead? Why do you get to decide who’s punished and who’s not? Are you God?” Ueno said.

“Come on, you gotta be kidding me, your dad wouldn’t let something bad like that happen to you, you’d probably just get a slap on the…”

And then it clicked for her.

As much as she hated the idea, she had thought that if Ueno turned himself in he’d get a reprimand and then let go, because his father was too influential. But she was wrong.

This _was_ his father’s influence. He didn’t want his son in any type of trouble, so he was more than willing to sacrifice Okura.

“You…” Nanako said through grit teeth.

“Ah, you finally understand. Listen, Nana-chan, it’s been great, but I gotta get going. But hey, if you wanna see me sometime, just text me.”

He winked. He and his crew sauntered down the road.

“Darn it,” Nanako hissed to herself.

Normally Nanako went straight home, but today she let herself wander the streets of Inaba.

It wasn’t fair.

None of it.

Even the principal, whom she had respected, wasn’t above the petty influence of politicians. There was probably money involved, too.

And Okura…Okura, who had always tried to blend in, to never be noticed. Now he was noticed and going to suffer for it.

Would he go to court? To jail?

Would that record follow him the rest of his life?

Her wandering took her into the Tatsuhime Shrine. She wasn’t very religious, so she usually only came to the shrine when it had to do with her mother. But right now, the place was calm and spiritual.

“Why is it I’m nothing but anger and emptiness?” Nanako said to the shrine. The _ema_ , the wooden wishes, jostled a little with the wind.

“I used to be so happy. And I still am but…when something like this happens…I just…”

She reached into her bag and pulled out some coins and placed them into the shrine box. Then she picked up one of the blank ema and started writing on it with a marker. When she finished it, she read it aloud.

“I wish for Justice, and for Okura to be spared this unjust fate.”

She put it on the shrine and bowed her head in a small prayer.

“How serious are you about that wish?”

Nanako spun around.

Sitting nearby was a beautiful fox with a red apron tied around its neck. Nanako’s eyes widened.

“Hey…I remember you,” she said. “Did…did you just talk?”

“Over here, Dojima.”

Nanako heard the voice again, but it was more to her left. Nanako turned her head and saw the figure standing nearby.

“O-oh. Oops.”

She looked at the fox. She could swear it smiled at her before it padded off.

She turned back to the figure and swallowed.

It was Ren Amamiya.

Ren Amamiya was Nanako’s crush back in year one of middle school.

There was something…otherwordly, about him. He was graceful, even at that age. He was tall and lithe, like a cat. His eyes were strikingly beautiful. And he was so effortlessly stylish. Even in his school uniform, the way he carried himself just oozed confidence and darkness. Not an evil darkness -a mysterious one. Like he was just a little bit dangerous.

Of course, he was also a little bit of a prankster in middle school, which had contributed to the fading of her crush in the middle of year two. But there was still something about him that made Nanako nervous. Especially since he’d matured in the last year of high school.

“Amamiya-kun,” Nanako said. “It’s not polite to listen to other people’s wishes.”

“You wrote it on an _ema_. Anyone can see it,” he pointed out.

“That’s not the point,” she said, trying to sound indignant.

“You didn’t answer my question. How serious are you about that wish?”

“Very. Something happened today with Okura, from-”

“I know. I was there.”

“You were?” Nanako said, shocked.

“Yes. I saw what happened. It was definitely Ueno, and Okura’s taking the fall for it. And I’m sure his dad had something to do with it,” Amamiya said.

“That’s what I thought too. But if you saw it, you can be a witness. You can go in tomorrow and tell the principal, and-”

“And nothing will happen.”

“But that’s evidence!”

“Did you have any evidence today?” he asked.

“Yeah, I did, Okura’s phone. If I can get it to the police station, they can determine with certainty whether or not Okura took any pictures.”

“Then why didn’t you do that?”

“The principal kept the phone and said it wasn’t a police matter.”

“So you have hard evidence that could prove his innocence, but the principal isn’t acting on it. What makes you think my testimony would do anything?”

He had a point. Nanako frowned, and crossed her arms.

“Okay, so then I guess you can’t help me.”

“I didn’t say that. Your dad’s a cop, right? He could check for the data, couldn’t he?”

Nanako almost laughed at the thought of her father trying to check data. He was a good detective, but he still struggled with technology. That wasn’t the point Amamiya was making though, so she just nodded.

“Okay. So we get the phone, you run the test, and then the cops can figure out the rest.”

“We can’t get the phone, the principal still has it. I’m sure it’s locked in his office,” Nanako said.

“I can get it. I just need a little help from you.”

“Get it? You mean steal it?”

Amamiya shrugged. “It’s not their phone, it’s Okura’s. Just think of it as getting it back for him.”

“Okay, I get it. This is a joke. You listened to me pour my heart out in front of this shrine and you felt like the best thing to do was tell a joke. Way to go, joker. You’ve just rubbed a pound of salt into my wound.”

“The school gates are shut when club activities are done. Then there’s an alarm system that goes up. Anyone that steps on campus after that time has to enter an alarm code within in twenty seconds. The doors are pretty simple locks, but the alarm is the major problem.”

“…You’re telling me you can pick the locks?” Nanako asked.

“Just a hobby of mine,” Amamiya said before flashing his dashing smile. Nanako’s heart skipped a beat.

He wasn’t wearing his glasses, she realized. At the beginning of the year, he had started wearing glasses. And he’d started slumping more, being more quiet in class, and disconnecting from his friends. At school he was almost like Okura.

But now…now he was back to his old self. In fact, he was even _more_ cool and stylish than before.

“Let’s pretend I’m going to ignore the fact you’re breaking and entering and just tackle this pragmatically. You obviously have thought about how to get in, so you must have a way to deal with the alarm, right?”

“No. That’s why I need you,” he said. “See, the principal changes the alarm code every six weeks, and only he and the vice-principal know it.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“There’s one little exception to the alarm system. The police have their own universal code they enter into an alarm system when they respond to a call. I need you to get that code.”

“What?!”

“It’s the only way the plan works. You get me the code, I break and and grab the phone, hand it to you, and we go our separate ways,” Amamiya said.

“This is…insane! I can’t do this. My dad’s a cop! Not to mention how _wrong_ it is to break in and steal something!”

“More wrong than ruining a kid’s life?”

She didn’t have an answer for that.

“This is why I asked you how serious you were. I can grant you the wish, but you have to have the stomach to do your end, otherwise I can’t do anything,” Amamiya siad. “So, are you serious?”

“…I need to think about it.”

Amamiya nods once, reaching into his pocket and pulling on a pair of glasses.

“You probably have a couple of days, at most. Think quickly.”

Nanako watched as he hunched over and blended back into his un-assuming posture. She wanted to say something else to him, but she suddenly felt disoriented and dizzy.

There was something about…putting on glasses…it felt familiar and somehow important…

She shook her head and looked around at the shrine. The fox was standing nearby again.

“What do you think I should do?”

The fox looked at her, then walked over to the _ema_. The fox pawed one of them, then walked away. Curious, Nanako walked over. It was the _ema_ that immediately next to one she hung.

“I wish for evil hearts to change,” Nanako read aloud.

She sighed.

That would be nice, wouldn’t it?


	4. 2/14 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako asks her father for advice.

-EVENING-

“Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Hm?” Nanako looked up from her plate to see her mom setting a small package of chocolate in front of her. “Oh, thanks.”

“Everything all right?”

“Yes, just…thinking about something.”

Nanako watched as her mom stared at her. Then she looked over to her dad, who was engrossed in his own thoughts.

Mom nudged dad.

“Hm?” Dad said. Mom made a meaningful look at dad, dad looked obliviously back at her.

Mom sighed.

“You two are too much alike…”

That made Nanako smile.

“Dad, what do you do when the people in power above you do the wrong thing?”

Nanako had to be careful with this. She wanted to know what her dad’s thoughts were, but he was a detective, and there was part of his detective brain that never turned off. Already the wheels were turning, trying to figure out why Nanako was asking.

“Depends. Sometimes I report it. Sometimes, unfortunately, I have to let it go. Why do you ask?”

Interesting, he was trying for the direct approach.

“Oh, it’s for a school paper,” Nanako said casually. This seemed to relax dad a little, but she could tell he didn’t entirely believe her.

“Ah. Well, to keep it vague…sometimes the laws aren’t written in a way that help people. Sometimes they are, but the people enforcing them interpret them in a way that isn’t helping the common person. Politicians, judges, all sorts of people in power play around with the law to get what they want. It’s sickening, but there’s only so much someone like me can do. If my bosses are the ones committing the corruption, who am I supposed to report it to?”

Nanako nodded. “That makes sense. So let’s say an injustice was committed, and someone wanted to clear that person’s name. But to do it, some laws would have to be broken. How would you feel about that?”

Dad laughed, shook his head, and took a drink of his beer.

“I’m not a philosopher, Nanako.”

“I know, but I still want to know what you think.”

“Well, I think that would be fine,” mom interjected. “After all, a lot of horrible things that have happened in history have been perfectly legal.”

“True,” dad said.“As a police officer, I would be obligated to try and stop or catch the person breaking the law, even if it was for a good reason. Laws sometimes fail people, but in general they’re needed for society, and the minute people start taking the law into their own hands is the minute we start falling back into a world where the strongest get to make the rules. If a law doesn’t work, then it should be changed. That’s what the legislators and lawyers are for.”

Nanako nodded, and used all of her willpower to keep herself looking politely interested. Inside, however, she felt completely crushed. It was the answer she was fearing, and now that she’d heard it, there was no way that-

“But…as a person…” dad took another sip of beer. “I guess it would depend on the injustice. But if it was clearly wrong, and there was no room for error…I would privately cheer them on.”

Nanako smiled.

“Thanks, dad. That’ll help a lot with my paper.”


	5. 2/15 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke loses his phone.

-MORNING-

“Dangit, come on, where did it go…”

Nanako had entered her classroom a little early. Yosuke was crawling around on the floor. She looked around, and seeing that no one else was there yet, said:

“What’re you looking for, Yosuke?”

Yosuke jumped up and hit his head on the desk.

“Ow…Nanako, I told you, Hanamura-sensei when we’re at school.”

“There’s no one else here,” Nanako pointed out.

“Ah…still!”

Yosuke pulled himself out from under the desk, rubbing his head.

“I’m trying to find my phone.”

“Did you leave it on the ground?”

“No. I usually lock it in the drawer over in the desk. I could have sworn I put it there this morning and locked it when I got here. But I just opened it and it’s gone.”

“Huh. Do you want me to call it?”

“Oh yeah, good idea.”

Nanako slipped out her phone and hit Yosuke’s number in her contact list. She listened to it ring.

But they heard nothing in the classroom.

“Darn it. That was a new model too…”

“Do you have a tracking app on it?”

“Yeah, I tried that, the computer said the last time it was pinged was here in the classroom, but it’s not pinging now. Maybe it ran out of power, too.”

“I’m sorry, Yosuke.”

The bell rings.

“Class is starting soon…if you see it, let me know, would you?” Yosuke said.

“Of course,” Nanako said.


	6. 2/15 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako finds Yosuke's phone.

AFTER SCHOOL

_Pi pi pi._

Nanako’s phone went off right as class ended. She frowned and pulled it out. There was a message from Yosuke.

YOSUKE: Meet me on the roof.

That was a weird request. Nanako messaged back.

NANAKO: You found your phone?

YOSUKE: Hurry, I won’t wait long.

That was very strange. Nanako tried calling back, but it went straight to voicemail.

There was nothing else to do but head up to the roof.

She shouldn’t have been surprised to see Amamiya waiting for her there, but somehow she was. She looked around.

“Where’s Hanamura-sensei?”

“Right here,” Amamiya said, holding up a phone. With it’s bright orange case, there was no mistaking it - it was Yosuke’s phone.

“Hey! That’s not funny, taking a teacher’s phone could get you in big trouble.”

“Which is why I’m turning it in to the student government,” Amamiya said, holding it in front of him. Nanako took it.

“How did you send a message?” she asked.

“He doesn’t lock his phone.”

“…Seriously?” Nanako sighed. “Where did you find it?”

“In the drawer.”

“…The locked drawer? Or does he not lock that either?”

“He did. It just didn’t stop me.”

“What are you trying to accomplish here?”

“Just showing you that I’m serious. I have the skills to pull off our mission, if you decide to go through with it. I didn’t want you having any doubts.”

Nanako studied Ren Amamiya for a long moment.

“Are you like…some sort of thief?”

Amamiya laughed. “No. I just like tinkering with tools and stuff. Locks are fun to pick. I could teach you.”

“No thanks.”

“Have you decided?”

“…Not yet. One more day.”

“If we don’t move soon, you’ll lose your chance. Okura’s parents were called in yesterday, and I heard they’re coming back today to continue discussions with the principal. It doesn’t look good.”

“That doesn’t mean that breaking in and stealing something is the right thing to do,” Nanako said.

“You might be right. It might not even help. But I want to try.”

“Why?” asked Nanako. “Is he your friend?”

“No, not really.”

“…Then you have to have some sort of reason…?” Nanako pushed.

“I just understand what he’s going through right now. And if I can help him, I want to.”

Though he was still wearing his glasses and slumped over, a little bit of his dark intensity returned. He seemed to realize it, and slumped back over.

“Give me your contact info,” Nanako said.

He did so.

“I’ll let you know by tonight.”

Amamiya nodded, then strode away through the roof door.

Nanako checked Yosuke’s phone. True to Amamiya’s word, Yosuke didn’t have a password set on it. She went into the messages app to delete the ones sent to her, but found that Amamiya had already done that.

She walked back into school and went to the faculty offices and requested to see Yosuke. When she got there, he was shuffling through his things on the desk.

“I found it,” Nanako said, holding up the phone. Yosuke sighed with relief.

“Thank you! Where’d you find it?”

“On the roof,” Nanako said, without thinking. Yosuke frowned.

“How the hell did it get there?”

Nanako shrugged. “Maybe someone put it up there as a prank.”

“Psh, they call that a prank? Man, back when I was in school…” he suddenly snapped his mouth shut, realizing where he was. “Well, anyway, thanks.”

“Yosuke…can I tell you something?”

“Huh? Sure, Nanako-chan. Sit down.”

Nanako told Yosuke about Okura and Ueno, excluding the parts about Amamiya and his plan. When she was done, Yosuke looked determined.

“You’re right Nanako. I’m going to talk to the principal right now.”

Relief flooded through Nanako. Maybe she wouldn’t have to worry about making any decisions at all. The system was going to work as intended, because good people worked inside of it: people like Yosuke, and her bro, and her dad. She didn’t have to go breaking the law to make things right.

She just had to tattle.

Yosuke walked down towards the principal’s office, and Nanako decided to loiter in the hallway. There was no way she was going to be able to relax until she found out the results, so she might as well wait for them.

Twenty minutes pass.

Yosuke came out, his face unreadable. He let out a sigh, clenched his fists, then, strangely, reached into a pocket on the inside of his coat. He pulled out a pair of orange-rimmed glasses and looked at them.

Then he saw Nanako.

“Oh, Nanako. I didn’t know you were waiting,” he said, slipping the glasses into his pocket.

“Did everything work out?”

“…I’m sorry, Nanako. I’m really, really sorry. The principal won’t budge. And I know it’s because of Ueno’s father but…there’s nothing more I can do. They already threatened to fire me. I guess I could go to the school board but…”

Nanako reached out and took his hand. Yosuke looked down at her, surprised.

“It’s okay. You tried. Thank you.”

“It wasn’t enough.”

“It was for me. Maybe you’ll win next time. Just don’t stop fighting, okay?”

“Nah, never. That’s why I became a teacher, after all.”

They said their goodbyes.


	7. 2/15 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako dreams of Heaven. A deal is made.

-EVENING-

A giant scarlet head and a long white T-shirt.

It grasps Nanako in grotesque fingers and squeezes her with desperation that she is too young to understand.

“Put her down!” Yu screams. It’s the sound of his voice that gives Nanako just enough hope to hold on. Her bro is here.

She is safe.

Right?

_“Persona!”_

The desk shook from Nanako sitting up abruptly. She felt like she could hardly breathe, and she felt droplets of sweat gathered on her forehead. She swallowed, and was met with a dry pain in her throat.

She had fallen asleep while studying, she realized. Her notes were soaked from where her head lay. Her desk lamp was incredibly hot, which would explain the sweat.

Nanako grumbled and untied the twin tails of her hair, then picked up her phone. It was 11:30 PM. Had she really been asleep for two hours?

She got up from the desk and went her bed, where she pulled out a small journal. In it, she marked the date, time, and location of her last sleep, and then added a single line.

“Same dream.”

Nine days in a row of the same dream, by her count. The longest streak yet.

What was wrong with her? What did that dream mean? And why did it make her feel so…

She opened up the messenger app on her phone and tapped in the contact information.

NANAKO: Amamiya-kun?

She stared at her phone until he replied.

AMAMIYA: Yeah.

NANAKO: I’m in. I’ll get the code tomorrow afternoon.

AMAMIYA: Great. Message me when you get it. I’ll give you more info then.

Nanako then shut off her desk light, plugged in her phone, and got ready for bed.

Tomorrow was going to be busy.


	8. 2/16 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's "Your daughter breaks into your office when you're not at work" day!

-2/16-

-AFTER SCHOOL-

In order to leave a little early, Nanako traded cleaning duty days with the Hanas. She was going to have to do _two,_ since she owed one to each Hana, but it was a small sacrifice to pay for justice.

So instead of clapping chalkboard erasers, Nanako went to the police station.

The first step was to make sure her dad wasn’t there - which he wasn’t. At least his car wasn’t. That was as good as she was going to get without calling him to check, which would definitely put him on high alert.

Nanako stood in front of the station, breathing heavily.

Why was she so nervous? She was at the station all the time. There would be nothing weird about her being here. Nobody was going to look twice at her.

Then why did it feel like they were going to find out right away?

The automated door slid open. There was an officer at the front desk, a middle-aged woman who glanced up at Nanako and smiled.

“Hello, Nanako-chan!” she said.

“Hello, sorry to be a bother.”

“Oh, no bother at all, go on back,” she said. Nanako thanked her and continued on.

The fact that the officer waved her back made Nanako a little nervous. Not that she would know for certain where her father was, but it might mean he was here. But she kept walking steadily, not too fast or too slow.

She was very aware of her gait, all of a sudden. She couldn’t remember how she walked, or if how she was walking was “normal.” Were people watching her? Could they tell something was wrong by the way she walked? She wanted to look around, but would that be suspicious? Or would staring straight ahead be _more_ suspicious? Did she normally look straight ahead, or did she normally look around? She couldn’t remember.

“Hey, Nanako-chan!”

“Eep!” Nanako yelped, startled. A young man with an unfortunate hairline rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He wore big glasses that kept sliding down his large nose.

“Sorry, Nanako-chan! I didn’t mean to startle you!”

“Aha, it’s okay Yamamoto-san,” Nanako said, smiling as sweetly as she could. Yamamoto was her dad’s new assistant, and had been for the last ten years. He was a sweet and dependable guy and seemed to be content to be an assistant.

“If you’re looking for your father, he’s not in. In fact, he told me he would be heading straight home after he was done his interviews,” Yamamoto said.

“Ah yes, I know, he actually asked me to stop by and pick something up for him,” Nanako said. The pause after her words felt like an hour. Was Yamamoto staring at her facial expressions, reading the truth in her body language?

“Okay! Just make sure you close the door when you’re done,” Yamamoto said. He walked over and slipped a key out of his pocket and opened a small office. Nanako stepped inside.

Dad’s office. It wasn’t fancy. It was mostly stacks of paper on a utilitarian desk. There were a handful of pictures Nanako had made when she was a kid taped to the wall. On the desk there were three photographs.

The first was mom and dad on their wedding day, both smiling larger than they ever had before.

The second was one of those hinged pictures. On the left was a picture of Nanako as a kid, around six years old. On the right was her most recent school photo. It was endearing that he kept that around, but it was also a little embarrassing.

Especially since she still wore her hair in twin-tails. Maybe it was time to update her look…

The last picture was about 5 years old. It was her, her dad, and big bro on the day of his graduation from university.

She smiled at the picture. Seeing her big bro gave her a little bit of strength. Even if he might not entirely approve of what she was about to do…

She took a deep breath and looked at the desk.

Dad knew how to use a computer to the level of writing emails, sending text messages, and doing whatever he had to do to complete his job. He still relied on paper for most things, which is why there was so much of it here. If there was a master password for the school’s alarm system, it would be written down somewhere.

The desktop was probably where his most active stuff was. She wouldn’t dare touch it. Not only would he probably notice, but he wouldn’t keep such a random piece of information on his desk.

She turned to the filing cabinets.

This was the most likely. About twice a year, she and mom would come into the office and help dad “reset” the place to be a bit more organized. The filing cabinets were always a big job, and Nanako had spent lots of time putting things in the correct order. Of course, she hadn’t been paying close attention to what she was putting away at the time, so she didn’t remember if an alarm code was in there or not.

She opened one.

She rifled through the filing tabs. Nothing.

She did another. Then another. Then another.

By the fourth one, she was at the bottom filing cabinet. Dad was relatively tall, so it made sense that the bottom cabinet was full of files that he didn’t use that often, but still needed to keep around.

And there it was, written in his big block letter handwriting: ALARMS.

She flipped open the folder. There were a bunch of printouts from different companies, and a bunch of post-its and paperclipped scraps. She was dreading having to search it, when she realized that there was a note written on the folder itself.

ALL CODES CHANGED TO 1004.

October 4th.

Her birthday.

She smiled and shook her head and closed the folder. Mission accomplished. Now to get out of here and…

As she slipped the file back, she noticed that there were two larger folders on the end. She probably wouldn’t have given them a second glance, except for the names written on them.

CHISATO.

ADACHI.

Nanako froze.

Were these dad’s old case files?

She touched the edge of the folder marked CHISATO. It was thick with papers, but it was also dusty, untouched for years.

When she was a kid, dad had been obsessed with finding her mother’s “killer.” But there was no real killer to find. Mom died in a car _accident_. No murder, no intent. And dad had hit dead end after dead end. It had nearly torn their family apart.

After the year big bro lived with them, he seemed to put it all behind him. But there the file was, still sitting there.

Why?

Just another memory?

Or was there something in there that he was going to show Nanako someday?

Or was this just junk he forgot to throw out?

She looked at the ADACHI file. It was even thicker than the CHISATO file. That was the case that happened the year big bro was there. Somehow he had been involved in it. Somehow, Nanako herself had been involved in it, but she never really understood how, and no one ever told her.

Did that file have answers?

She reached out for the ADACHI file.

 _Pi pi pi_.

Nanako nearly yelped. She grabbed her phone and checked the text.

DAD: Hey, bringing katsu home for dinner. You almost home?

Well, if that wasn’t a sign to tell her to stop, she didn’t know what was. She closed the filing cabinet, leaving the files behind, and texted back.

NANAKO: Yes, be home soon.

She left the police station. But as she did, she sent one more text.

NANAKO: Got it.


	9. 2/16 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako lies.

Nanako was halfway through dinner with her family when her phone went off again.

REN: Tonight.

“Nanako, no phones at the table,” dad grumbled.

“Sorry dad, just forgot to silence it,” she said. Mom gave dad a side eye.

“Dear, I think it’s a little silly for you to insist no phones at dinner when you’re watching sports highlights on the TV…”

Dad looked away from the TV to his wife, then to Nanako. He opened his mouth to say something, looking as if he was about to summon up all his fatherly authority.

Then he just sighed.

“Fine, fine, just for tonight,” he grumbled, and went back to stuffing his face and watching the TV.

Nanako mouthed “thank you” silently to her mom. Mom just smiled, completely self-satisfied.

NANAKO: I don’t know if I can get out tonight.

AMAMIYA: Send me the code.

NANAKO: Oh sure, I’ll just leave evidence on both our phones, that’s a real great idea. You shouldn’t even talk about the code.

AMAMIYA: Every day that goes by, the harder this will be to fix for Okura. We need to move as soon as possible.

AMAMIYA: Meet me at school as soon as you can.

Nanako slipped her phone onto her lap and kept her eyes locked on her food. Amamaiya had a point, the longer they waited, the less-likely that the evidence on Okura’s phone would work in time to save him from expulsion. But she had decided on her way home that she needed to be there when he went in.

But that would mean having to lie to her parents.

Try as she might, Nanako couldn’t remember a time where she intentionally lied to them. Sure, there were times where she might not be entirely honest about how she felt about a situation, but that was usually to try and make her parents happy - bad habit from her childhood, she supposed. Mom had been working with her the last couple of years to help Nanako express her feelings more.

What would she even say to go out? She never went out on the weekdays, unless there was some sort of school festival she had to plan, and they would definitely know that wasn’t happening.

“Um,” she said. Dad didn’t pay attention, but mom looked at her. “I was wondering if I could go over to Hana’s for a bit. We have a math exam tomorrow, and I could use a little review.”

“Hana or Hanako?” Dad asked without turning his attention away from the TV.

“Um,” Nanako said, her heartbeat smashing against her ribcage. “Both will be there, actually.”

“On a school night? Not sure about that one. Let me call over to Hana’s house first and make sure,” Dad said.

“Oh, well, uh…” Nanako stammered.

“Dear,” mom said. “Nanako’s in high school now. Don’t you think that’s a little…much?”

“Much?” Dad said, finally turning away from the TV.

“Well, I remember when I was a young girl and my father was very strict with me about going out with my friends. All that it accomplished was that I got very good at sneaking out,” mom said. “Nanako’s a very trustworthy person. We should try and keep it that way and let her go out to study math. Don’t you think?”

There was a very long pause. Nanako got nervous. Dad might be the head of the house, but mom was the neck and could point him all sorts of directions. But even he had a limit. Was going out on a school night going to be a step too far for the father who had almost lost his whole family? For a father who was a cop and saw just how dangerous a small town like Inaba could be?

“Be home by 10,” he said.

“Thank you, dad.”

“You better do well on this exam,” he said.

“I will.”

She finished eating and got dressed to go back out - dark blue jeans, a t-shirt and a dark gray hoodie. She had to take her school bag to keep up appearances, but she didn’t want that on her when she was near the school. She stopped at the shrine and set it down over by the _ema_ , taking only her phone with her and sticking it in the hoodie pocket.

She went to school, too nervous to text Amamiya, but also uncertain where they were supposed to meet. There was a gate in front of the school, and a long brick wall that sectioned off the perimeter. He could be anywhere along the exterior.

_Pi pi pi_

“Ack!” Nanako jumped. She forgot to silence her phone, _again_. She grumbled, immediately set it to silent, and looked at the message.

AMAMIYA: Look straight ahead. Look carefully.

She looked straight ahead.

Beside either end of the gate there was a large orb-shaped lantern to light up the entrance. The light on the left side of the gate was out. She stared at the shadowy portion until she could vaguely make out the shape of Amamiya leaning against the wall. She walked over to it quickly, drawing her hood over her head.

“Nice work,” he said. “I knew you could make it.”

Nanako felt her heart racing a bit again. She wasn’t sure if it was the guilt of lying to her parents, the fear of being caught, or skulking around the night with her middle school crush. It was probably a mixture of all three.

“So, what’s the plan?”

“I jump the fence, pick the locks, grab the phone and meet you back here. Then you take the phone to your dad.”

“What about the alarm?” she asked.

“I turn it off as soon as I get into the hallway. Give me the code.”

Nanako took a deep breath and straightened up.

“No.”

Amamiya looked confused. He leaned forward a bit, letting some of the ambient light catch his face. His gorgeous eyes and sharp features looked dark and mysterious.

“What do you mean no? Are you out here to waste my time?”

“No. I’m going with you.”

“No you’re not,” he said.

“I am. This code is too important. Sure, you might use it today to get the phone, but if I give it to you, you might come back and steal all sorts of things,” Nanako said.

“Is that what you think of me?” Amamiya asked.

“I don’t know what to think of you. I don’t know you,” Nanako pointed out. “But…I want to believe you’re doing this for the right reasons. And if you are, you’ll let me go with you.”

“You’ll get caught,” he said.

“Don’t be quick to judge me. I’m a cop’s daughter, after all, I know how to protect myself,” she said. She also thought about the beginning of middle school when Chie suddenly took it upon herself to train Nanako every day for a year. Nanako hadn’t exactly kept up with the regiment she had assigned her, but she was still in pretty good shape.

“It’s a bad idea,” he said, his last, half-hearted plea.

“This whole thing is a bad idea. But I can’t let it go.”

“Very well,” Amamiya said, pulling his own hoodie up. “It’s showtime.”


	10. 2/16 - Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The break-in.

Amamiya was faster than Nanako.

He leaped up the side of Yasogami High School’s wall effortlessly. He draped himself over the side of the wall, long elegant hand held out for Nanako.

She frowned and ignored it.

It took a second, but she managed to get to the top of the wall herself.

“Next time take the hand,” Amamiya said. “We don’t have time.”

“Right,” she whispered back. It felt good to show Amamiya that she didn’t need him, but he had a point. They needed to do this quickly.

They both dropped down to the other side of the wall and ran to the front door of their high school. In a flash, Amamiya had a couple of tools in his hands, working dexterously at the lock.

Nanako kept a lookout, her heart thundering in her chest.

“Got it,” Amamiya said, then shouldered the door in. He melted into the darkness of the front hall, with Nanako close behind.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

“Your turn,” Amamiya said. Nanako scanned the wall until she saw the keypad. She reached out for it.

Amamiya’s hand closed around hers. Nanako jumped in surprise.

“You’re not wearing gloves,” he whispered.

She was in fact, not wearing gloves, and she felt stupid for it. It was only then that she realized that Amamiya _was_ wearing gloves - though she couldn’t remember seeing him put them on. Was he wearing them the whole time?

“Give them to me,” she said.

“No time. Tell me the code.”

“No.”

“Fine. Use my hand.”

She looked at him, and realized that he had his eyes shut, head turned away, and his other hand pressed on his face. His remaining hand floated in front of her.

This was stupid and childish, but he was right, there was no time. She took his hand and used his finger to press the keypad.

1004#.

The alarm gave a cheery chime, then stopped its warning beep.

“Let’s go,” Amamiya said. The two of them took off down the hallway, heading straight for the principal’s office.

The principal’s office was also locked, and Amamiya had to pick that. The whole time, Nanako kept running through her head all the things that could go wrong. What if putting in the police code into the alarm system alerted the police? Or the alarm company? Wouldn’t there be record of the code being used? Was her dad going to get in trouble? Would-

“I’m in,” Amamiya said, shouldering the door again. He glided into the next room and flicked on the light, which was harsh and glaring to Nanako’s eyes.

“Hey, the light is a bad idea,” she said.

“Can you find the phone without it?”

She frowned but he was right. “You’re too good at this,” she said.

“Is that an accusation?”

“Just an observation,” she said.

The two of them started to search the room. Nanako pulled a couple of tissues from a box on the principal’s desk and used them as makeshift gloves. They checked drawers and filing cabinets until Nanako pulled out the bottom drawer on the right side of the desk. There, sitting in a disorganized pile, was a bunch of phones that had been confiscated.

Okura’s was right on top.

“Got it,” Nanako said, holding it triumphantly above her head.

The lights snapped off.

“Get down,” Amamiya ordered.

Nanako was seized with new terror, but it gave her the motivation to duck behind the desk quickly. Amamiya stood by the door, leaning against the wall.

Nanako could hear voices. And footsteps.

And they were getting closer.

“Oooh, Kudo-san, taking me back to campus, how devlish~!” a sultry female voice cooed.

“Shh, Kashiwagi-san, keep quiet,” a nervous male voice replied.

“Oh, there’s nobody here, stop worrying and think about what we’re going to do. Do you want to do it in my classroom? The gym?”

“But the alarm…ah, you’re right. I must have forgotten to set it earlier.”

“No doubt too pre-occupied with tonight.”

The footsteps fade and the woman giggles.

Nanako looked up at Amamiya and gave him a questioning look. He gave her a look and mouthed “ew.”

So it was as Nanako thought. Kashiwagi, the older homeroom teacher who dressed and acted way too young for her age was about to have an affair with Kudo-san, the Vice Principal, who was also married.

“Ew,” Nanako said aloud. Then she slapped her hans over her mouth, realizing what she had done.

Amamiya chuckled. Then laughed.

Then they both risked a laugh together.

“I think we’re clear,” Amamiya said. “Let’s get out of here.”

Amamiya opened the door and he and Nanako moved as quickly and quietly as they could - not quite running, but moving in a quiet speed walk. It took all of Nanako’s willpower to not break into a full-on sprint, especially as they got to the front hall.

The front door swung open and they were hit with the cold night air.

Nanako gasped in relief. Amamiya shut the door behind them, and they both rushed back to the front gate, vaulting themselves over.

Nanako laughed again.

“I can’t believe we pulled that off…” she said.

“You did great,” Amamiya said.

“Me? You did all the hard stuff. And saved us from Kudo-san,” Nanako said.

“You kept your cool, and found the phone,” Amamiya pointed out.

“We were a team,” Nanako said with an air of finality. “Thanks again. Really. I…I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. Probably nothing, and I would’ve felt guilty about it.”

Amamiya’s face was unreadable in that moment. Nanako could see a bunch of different emotions wrestling each other inside of him, though she wasn’t sure what. Or why. It seemed like this was very significant to him, but she couldn’t understand why.

“Sorry,” he whispered.

“What do-”

Amamiya pulled up his hood and swung around. Before Nanako could say another syllable, his arms were pulling her close, his face bent down.

He kissed her.

Nanako’s eyes were wide open for a heartbeat. Then she let them flutter closed. How many times had she daydreamed about this moment back in middle school? And now…here, riding the emotions of their daring feats, he was kissing her in the icy winter darkness.

This was more romantic than she could have ever planned for a first kiss. Did he really feel this strongly about her? Had they been harboring crushes with each other the whole time?

She felt a bright light on her face. She opened one eye, and was met with the glare of a powerful flashlight.

“Hey, what are you kids doing out here?” the voice called out.

Amamiya broke the kiss, then pulled Nanako close to his chest, obscuring her face with his coat.

“Nothing,” he said. “Just hanging out.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” the voice said. The flashlight lowered a little, and Nanako could make out the shape of a police uniform. She gripped tighter onto Amamiya. She didn’t recognize this police officer, or know him by name, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t recognize her.

“Hard to find privacy,” Amamiya said. “You understand, don’t you? You were young once.”

Nanako couldn’t believe he was being that bold with a police officer. But there was something charming in Amamiya’s voice that made the police officer relent with a sigh.

“Head on home now, okay? I don’t want to write you a loitering ticket. Go straight home.”

“Yes, right away, thank you,” Amamiya said. He held Nanako close, shielding her from the view of the officer. They walked like that for a long while until they turned. Once they turned, Amamiya released Nanako, and she took a step aside from him.

“That was close,” she said.

“Sorry,” he said.

“Oh, don’t worry about it! It was…” she wanted to say ‘nice’ and ‘fun’ and ‘exciting’, but instead she said “…necessary. It would be a big problem if someone told my dad.”

He nodded. “Guess that’s it then. You want me to walk you home?”

She didn’t live much further from here, but she said “yes, please.”

They walked quietly down the road, side by side.

“What are you going to do now?” Amamiya asked.

“Tell my dad everything and give him the phone. I won’t tell him how I got the phone, just that Okura handed it to me before it was confiscated,” Nanako said.

“He’ll believe it?”

“I think so. He’ll believe me, because I basically never lie,” Nanako said. “Well, except for today.”

“Sometimes the law isn’t always right,” Amamiya said. “We did the right thing.”

“Yeah. We did.”

Amamiya stopped about a block away from her house.

“Well. See you at school, then,” Nanako said.

“Goodnight, Dojima-chan,” Amamiya said. He started walking away.

“Hey, Amamiya,” Nanako called out. “You can call me Nanako. We are partners in crime, after all.”

Again, he looked at her with that conflicted emotion. He looked so brooding and troubled, as if he had such a weight on his shoulders.

“Goodnight, Nanako,” he said.

Nanako finished her walk back to her house. It was only 9:30, dad would be happy she was home early.

Not that she would be getting any sleep after the night she had.

First burglary and first kiss. Although the kiss was related to the burglary. Maybe it shouldn’t count.

Although she didn’t think she’d ever be able to forget it.


	11. 3/15 - Lunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A cryptic message.

“Do you have any plans for the break, Nanako-chan?” asked one of the Hanas. Nanako wasn’t paying much attention, so she wasn’t sure which had asked.

“Oh, uh, no, not really,” Nanako said. “I think we might go on a family trip if my dad can get the time off. Maybe to Tokyo to visit my brother.”

“That sounds fun,” Hana said. “I’m stuck here the whole time, being bored. You’ll post pictures won’t you?”

“Yeah, and some of that brother of yours too, he’s hot,” Hanako said. Nanako rolled her eyes.

“I’ll post a few,” Nanako said, which seemed to make them happy. They went back to chatting about how boring their breaks were going to be.

Nanako went back to eating and thinking.

A month had passed since the events of Okura, Ueno, and the peeping. Things had played out as Nanako thought they would - her dad was a little suspicious, but he took the phone, and the case. He came to the school, called in all the parents and students and the principal. The investigation took dad a week to complete, and it was all anyone could talk about for two weeks.

Okura was found innocent. Ueno was put on probation, and if the rumors were true, his father had taken away his car as punishment - not for the peeping, but for putting the family in a bad light. Dad had told the principal that he needed to be more thorough about serious allegations in the future, especially if they regarding a crime.

Nanako hadn’t spoken to the principal since. The class president didn’t think it was a good idea, so most of her student government tasks had been reassigned “for now,” though Nanako wasn’t sure she was going to get any of them back. Or if she would even be allowed back into student government.

But none of that mattered. Okura had been saved from injustice. Nanako could live without student government.

What perplexed her, though, was Amamiya.

She knew that the kiss was to save them from the police that night. It didn’t mean anything to him, clearly, since they hadn’t spoken a word since that night. At first Nanako had avoided talking to him too, paranoid that somehow hanging out with him would tip off the police that they had stolen the phone. She kept that up until the rumors died down, and she figured they might talk again after that.

Except they never did.

It was partly her fault. She didn’t message him. She just thought he would have messaged her by now, though she wasn’t sure why she thought that. And why didn’t she just message him?

Maybe it was just meant to a singular destined moment that they shared together. One of those weird stories that you have in high school that you tell your kids when you’re a parent, one of those peculiar memories that you cherish because they seem like they belong to someone else. To Nanako, that memory felt like it belonged to a much more interesting person.

If only she could stop thinking about that night. Then she could let it go and remember it fondly.

 _Pi pi pi_.

She glanced at her phone and her heart skipped.

 **AMAMIYA:** Meet me at the shrine.

She frowned. That was awfully forward for a guy who hadn’t spoken to her in a month. She almost turned him down right then and there, but instead wrote:

 **NANAKO:** Why? 

**AMAMIYA:** Something I want to tell you.

Nanako flet her heart pounding again, but she took a several deep breaths. She had to get herself under control. If she read too much into this, she could end up hurt and disappointed.

…But what if it was a love confession?

No, Nanako, don’t do that, she told herself. Just go and find out what he wanted.

 **NANAKO:** Okay. See you there.

He didn’t reply, which made the rest of the school day slow and arduous.


	12. 3/15 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amamiya and Nanako meet at the Shrine.

It was a perfect spring day.

The sakura blossoms hadn’t bloomed yet, but Nanako felt that everything else was as bright as could be. The sky was blue, the sunlight was clear and warm, and the breeze gentle and refreshing.

The perfect day for a love confession?

Nanako shook her head hard enough for her twin tails to whip into her cheek. No. That was ridiculous. She had to stop thinking about that. She was acting like a lovesick schoolgirl.

…Although, she was a schoolgirl, so maybe acting that way wasn’t so inappropriate.

Still. This could be about anything. They hadn’t spoken in a month, obviously if that daring kiss had meant something to him, then he would have said something already.

Then again, this was Amamiya Ren, the most mysterious boy she knew. The boy who she had never expected to know how to pick locks, or care about random classmates at school. Maybe he was the kind of guy who needed to think about his feelings before leaping into anything.

Or maybe he was the kind of guy who would steal a kiss without a second thought.

Now she was frowning.

I mean, did he _have_ to kiss her to hide her from that cop? Couldn’t he have just hugged her? Or stood in a way that blocked her face from the officer? Was it just a bonus prize he saw he could snatch away?

No, that didn’t make sense. The officer was clearly uncomfortable with what he had found and just wanted them to go away. If they hadn’t been kissing, maybe he would have asked more questions.

Could Amamiya have thought that through so quickly?

“Hi.”

“Ack!” Nanako jumped. She whirled around to see Amamiya standing beside a tree with a bemused look on his face.

“You okay?”

“Y-yeah…sorry, I was just thinking about something,” Nanako managed, pretty lamely in her opinion.

“I see. Well, this won’t take very long. I just wanted to…” he trailed off. Nanako managed to catch her breath and focus on what was going on in front of her. Although he had appeared beside the tree with his usual mysteriousness, Amamiya’s posture was a bit slumped. And yet it was also tense at the same time. He was uncomfortable with what he had to do next, Nanako realized.

Fear settled in her stomach. She wasn’t sure what she was afraid of, exactly, but she could feel his tension.

“I just wanted to say goodbye.”

“What?” Nanako rushed from her spot by the steps to stand in front of him. “Goodbye? Why? Did I do something wrong?”

Amamiya looked surprised. “No, not at all. It has nothing to do with you.”

He leaned in a bit to study her face.

“You don’t know? I thought you might.”

“Know what?” Nanako said, her voice edging on exasperated. “What’s going on?”

“I’ve been expelled from Yasogami High,” he said. The fear rumbling in her stomach turned into a stone.

“Why? Did somebody see us?”

“No. I already told you, it has nothing to do with you. It was something that happened a year ago, actually. I thought maybe because your dad…well, it doesn’t matter. The court made its decision, and as of today, I no longer go to this school.”

Her dad? What did her dad have to do with this? Was Amamiya in legal trouble? Did he commit a crime? Were all those skills he used to help her honed from actual thievery?

“That’s terrible…” she said. He shrugged.

“There was no other way around it.”

“But where are you going?” Nanako asked.

“Shujin Academy. It’s in Tokyo, and the only school willing to take me,” he said. “I’ll be living with a friend of my parents.”

“I’m so sorry,” Nanako said. “Is there anything I can do to help? Maybe I can talk to my dad and-”

He put his hand up to stop her.

“What’s done is done,” he said. The sadness I his voice sunk into Nanako’s heart and washed over the stone of fear in her belly. The fear was gone now, replaced with a growing grief.

“I just wanted to say goodbye to you because I haven’t had any friends this last year. I didn’t see a point, since I knew something was going to happen to me. But then…well, what happened, happened. And it was the first time in a very long time that someone saw me for who I really am. You’re a good person, Nanako. You have a good heart that believes in the best in people, and I hope you have a good life.”

The tears were in Nanako’s eyes now. She reached out and grabbed him, hugged him, pulled him close. It was impulsive, and way too forward, but she didn’t care. Her heart was so full of so much that she had to do something.

“I’ll miss you, Ren,” she said. Then, realizing that she had used his first name, blushed. “I-I mean…”

“It’s okay,” he said. He hugged her back, gently. “And you won’t miss me. But it’s nice to hear, anyway.”

As they pulled away from the hug, Ren slipped his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out his glasses. His whole demeanor once again transformed, slumping forward and turning into someone unremarkable and unimportant.

“Bye, Nanako.”

He flung his Yasogami High uniform jacket off his shoulders and left it on the ground in front of the shrine. Then he took long strides down the street, walking away from Nanako.

Nanako picked up the jacket, wiped her tears with a sleeve, and straightened herself up.

This couldn’t be right.

Something had to be done.

—

Nanako closed the office door a little too hard. Her dad looked up from his stacks of papers.

“Nanako, something wrong?” he said, his voice and demeanor in full-blown detective mode.

“Amamiya Ren,” she said. “What happened to him?”

Dad frowned, thought a second, the nodded.

“Right, the kid from your school. What about him?”

“He said he’s been expelled. Is that true?” she asked.

“Yes. Why do you want to know?” he leaned forward an inch. “Is he a friend of yours?”

“Yes,” she said without hesitation. She should probably be nervous, since if Ren had done something illegal, this was going to put her in a bad position with her dad. But she wasn’t going to lie - she was his friend, even if their friendship was defined by the three strangest days of her life.

“Why don’t you ask him then?”

“Daddy, please…I need to know if he’s…”

He stared stone-faced for a moment, then sighed and reached for his phone.

“Yamamoto, bring in the files for the Amamiya case, would you?”

He hung up.

Nanako sat down in the chair across from him. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a package of cookies and set them between them.

Nanako ate one.

Yamamoto came in a few minutes later, file in hand.

“Looks awful thin, Yamamoto,” dad said.

“Yeah, weird isn’t it?” Yamamoto said with a big smile. He set it on the desk. “Hi Nanako-chan!”

“Hi, Yamamoto-san.”

He grinned and left.

Dad flipped through the thin file. There had to only be six or seven pieces of paper in it.

“He was arrested about a year ago for assault,” he said.

“What kind?” she asked. Dad slowly closed the file folder and set it aside. He folded his hands and leaned closer to her.

“Nanako, you remember the other day when you were asking about injustice?”

Nanako felt a renewed uneasiness.

“I didn’t work on this case, but whoever did was pressured to do a lot of strange things. There’s almost no details in the case file, other than some notes that say that there’s a lot of classified details that can only be seen by a judge. If I wanted to get the rest of the information, I don’t think I could,” dad said.

“Why?”

“More than likely the other person involved was an important figure. Politician, most likely, but could be a celebrity. Someone who didn’t want their name in the court records, but still wanted to make sure Amamiya was punished,” Dad said.

Nanako, who thought she could feel no more big feelings after all she had been through, felt a white-hot center of anger in her chest.

“So he was framed,” she said.

“I don’t know for sure.”

“But if the other important person was really wrongfully assaulted, why would they care about hiding their involvement?” Nanako asked.

“That’s what I wonder, too,” Dad said. He had a small, half-smile on his lips, proud of Nanako’s deductions.

“What will happen to him?”

“He’s on probation for a year. If he can stay out of trouble, then he’ll be fine. If he messes up, though, he’ll go to juvenile jail,” he said.

“I see,” Nanako said. There was a long silence.

“Do you want another cookie?”

“No thanks,” she said. She got up, smoothed out her skirt and adjusted her backpack. “Sorry I bothered you at work.”

“It’s never a bother to have you here,” he said with a smile. “Hey, what do you want for dinner?”

“Whatever you guys want is fine,” she said. “I’ll see you at home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a lot of needless research to figure out if the cherry blossoms would be in bloom in Inaba or not. They missed it by 12 days!


	13. 3/15 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako gets some advice.

Nanako spent most of the day silent.

She went home. She watched TV. She helped make dinner.

She ate.

She went to her room.

She lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

She was lost in thought.

She decided to go through what she knew from the beginning. Ren had gotten into an altercation a year ago, that wasn’t being disputed. As a result, he was arrested, tried, and found guilty of assault. His punishment was being expelled from Yasogami High and since he was required to go to school, had to move to Tokyo to Shujin Academy, the only place that would take him.

She also knew that the other party had erased themselves from the case, whether they were politician or celebrity, she didn’t know. Maybe they were trying to hide themselves from the embarrassment, but Nanako didn’t think so. More than likely, they were hiding something.

She thought about Ren. Yes, he seemed strangely quiet, moved like a ninja-trained cat, and knew how to pick locks and charm his way past the police. He was like a gentleman thief from a novel.

If he had been arrested for theft, Nanako would believe that. But assault? She had a hard time picturing Ren maliciously attacking another person.

“You don’t know him that well,” she said aloud. She had to say it aloud, to drive the point home in her head, in her heart, and whatever other part of her body made decisions.

She was being clouded by her feelings for him, which were based on what? A middle school crush? The thrill of a kiss after a heist? This was the work of hormones. Or if not hormones, then of something interesting happening in her hum-drum life, and her unwillingness to let it go.

Then why couldn’t she let it go?

He seemed so sad when he had to leave. And to be told that she was the only person who had seen him in a year? They had spent three days together. Three days of friendship in a year of loneliness.

And now what would happen to him?

A new city,a new school, a new home. Wouldn’t he be even lonelier?

“Big bro,” she said.

It was just like him. He had come out to Inaba when her uncle and aunt had gone overseas for work. Big bro came here and had nobody, except an exhausted uncle and a little girl who didn’t even know him.

She reached for her phone, slid through the contacts. Her thumb hovered over the call button.

Then she backed out of that contact and looked at her full contact list.

She chose another one and hit “call.”

It rang twice.

“Hi, Nanako-chan,” said a graceful voice.

“Hi, Yukiko…is this a bad time? I’m sorry for calling so late,” she said.

“No, not at all. Is everything okay?”

“I just…need some advice,” Nanako said. “And I’m not sure who to ask.”

“Come on over. You can help out at the inn,” she said. Nanako breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thanks. I’ll be there soon.”

She hung up, grabbed her bag and hoodie.

The same gray hoodie she wore on that night. She shook it off and went back into the living room, where mom and dad were settled together watching TV.

“I’m going to the Amagi Inn for a bit. They have a little work for me to do,” Nanako said.

She waited for dad’s questioning, but between TV, his wife curled in his arms, and the half-finished beer in his hand he merely said “Don’t be home too late.”

Nanako stepped out into freedom.

—

The Amagi Inn, the jewel of Inaba. Business had picked up in the years following big bro’s arrival, in part because of a TV special that had run on it not long before, and in part because Rise had given an endorsement of it during a few interviews.

Nanako wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse for Yukiko these days.

The inn was an exquisite example of traditional Japanese hospitality, and it was still one of the nicest places Nanako ever got to stay in - even though she had been a little girl at the time. But the memory of going with “the girls,” being treated as one of their own, even though they were so much more grown up than her, it was one of her most cherished memories.

Nowadays, though, her time at the inn was more about cleaning.

And kids.

“Nanakoooo-chhaaaaan!” came the yell of a six year old boy running at full speed. Nanako bent down just fast enough to catch the boy before he tackled her legs.

“Hi there, Tsuneo,” Nanako said. “Are you being a good helper today?”

“Yes, obviously! I’m the oldest son, I have to be strong and proud, the new protector of the Amagi Inn!”

He stood up straight and saluted, to which Nanako laughed. She gave a salute back before standing up.

“Where’s your sister?”

“Watching Nyan Nyan Par-…I mean,” Tsuneo adjusted his stance, trying to look older. “She’s watching some dumb baby cartoon. I’m too old for that now.”

“I’m sure you are,” Nanako said. “Though you know, I still watch Nyan Nyan Parade now and again…”

“You do? Oh, well, I do too. It’s still pretty good, especially if you like it, Nanako-chan.”

Nanako reached down and scruffled his hair a bit. “Where’s your mom?”

“In the manager’s office.”

“Why don’t you go watch your sister, I need to talk to her for a bit.”

“Okay, but are you gonna stay for a while? Can you put us to bed?”

Nanako chuckled. “We’ll see. Now go.”

Tsuneo ran off, and Nanako turned down past the reception area to the manager’s office. She knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Yukiko called. Nanako opened the door.

Yukiko sat behind the desk, typing furiously away at her computer. Yukiko had always been a _yamato nadeshiko_ , even as a teenager, but as an adult she had come into the true strength of what that meant. Her hair was still as long as ever, though somehow darker and silkier than before. She wore a pink flowered kimono which was now bulging at the center with her latest pregnancy. She had a pair of red glasses balanced on her nose, and her face focused in iron-like concentration.

“Are you busy? I can come back,” Nanako said.

“Nonsense,” Yukiko said, hitting a key on her keyboard with an emphatic strike. “Just needed to finish that email. That’ll be the last time a vendor tries to bait and switch me…”

Nanako laughed and sat down, though she made a note to never cross Yukiko when it came to the inn.

“You look so great! Are you feeling well?” Nanako asked. Yukiko rubbed her belly.

“Yes, this one is being a lot more cooperative than Ai was in utero. Though Tsuneo was so easy in pregnancy and so difficult now that he’s born…”

“Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?”

“We’re waiting this time to be surprised,” Yukiko said. Then, conspiratorially, she leaned forward and whispered “It’s a girl, I had to know, but don’t tell Sadao.”

Nanako zipped her lips and smiled.

“But now that that’s all out of the way, let’s focus on you. What’s going on?”

Nanako took a deep breath.

“It’s kind of a long story, and it…involves some things that you might not agree with,” Nanako said.

“Things that if your dad knew would make him upset?”

“Very,” she said. Nanako felt herself shrinking into the seat. Yukiko thought about this for a moment.

“Well, I won’t promise that I won’t tell him, because some things a parent just has to know,” Yukiko said. “But, there are some things that a parent doesn’t need to know, too. I’ll make my decision after you tell me.”

This was the best Nanako could ask for, and honestly she found it a little bit of a relief. Hiding something from her parents had eaten away at her, and if Yukiko felt that they needed to be told, Nanako would do it herself.

Nanako started at Valentine’s Day and went all the way through to this afternoon. She even left in the part about the kiss, though Nanako was blushing brighter than the sun through the whole thing. Yukiko listened patiently, stopping only to ask clarifying questions.

“That’s quite a story,” Yukiko said. “But I’m not sure why you need advice. Amamiya-kun left. The story’s over.”

“What if I don’t want it to be?” Nanako said. Yukiko raised her eyebrows, but kept herself composed.

“What do you mean?”

“I just think…it’s not fair what he’s going through. He has to be in Tokyo all by himself, at a new school. And it won’t be long before someone leaks out that he has a criminal record, and what if it’s too hard to make friends after that? Or worse, what if the types of friends he makes are more criminals?” Nanako said.

“I’m pretty sure the school is required to keep that confidential,” Yukiko said.

“Schools are supposed to do a lot of things,” Nanako said, a hint of bitterness in her tone.

“A fair point. But, and I’m sure you’ve already thought of this, you don’t know him that well, Nanako-chan. He’s not your responsbility,” Yukiko said.

“I know. I know this is foolish. But I also know what it’s like to be that lonely. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone in the whole world,” Nanako said. She stared down at her hands folded in her lap.

“So you want to follow him to Tokyo,” Yukiko said.

“Yes.”

“And what if he doesn’t want you to follow him?”

“At least there’s a familiar face. Even if I’m annoying to him, at least there’s something he recognizes,” Nanako said.

“This is too much to do for a boy,” Yukiko declared. “I wouldn’t allow you to do such a thing just to get his affection. However…I don’t think that’s the only reason you want to do this.”

Nanako looked up, perplexed. “What do you mean?”

“I love this inn,” she said, motioning to the walls around her. “But when I was your age, I thought of it as a cage. I didn’t want my whole life to be determined by what my parents and grandparents did. I wanted freedom. But…after some exploring, I realized that the inn was what I wanted after all. I wouldn’t have come to that understanding, however, if I hadn’t gone on that journey.”

“Inaba is great, Nanako. But it’s not the whole world. If you don’t see the world, you can’t make a decision. So I say yes. Go. Go help your friend. Go live in Tokyo. Find out who you are and what you want,” Yukiko said.

Nanako felt stupid, but there were huge tears pooled in her eyes now. She sniffled and wiped them on the sleeve of her hoodie.

“What if my dad won’t let me?”

“He will. Besides, it’s not like you’d be living alone, right? I’m sure Yu will let you stay there. If anyone will understand what you’re going through, it’s him.”

Yukiko was right. Nanako had already decided that if she was going to follow Ren that she’d live with her big bro. Even if she wanted to go on an adventure, she needed family.

“Thanks, Yukiko. This helped a lot.”

“You know we’re always here for you,” she said.

The door opened behind Nanako.

“Yuki, I fixed the furnace - oh hey, Nanako-chan!” said Sadao. Sadao, Yukiko’s husband, was a huge mountain of a man, standing 6 and a half feet tall and was built like a tank. He wore his hair in a traditional top-knot and had a wide easy smile.

“Hi Sadao-san. Do you mind if I put the kids to bed? Tsueno already asked.”

“Sure! Hey, any guesses on what the baby’s gonna be?”

Nanako smiled innocently.

“I have no idea.”

  



	14. 3/17 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako talks about her plan to go to Tokyo.

The Dojima household was at war.

Nanako had gotten advice from Yukiko on Monday.

Tuesday had been the last day of school, and the day where Nanako gathered up all of her courage and readied her arguments.

Wednesday, today, she had gathered her mom and dad at the breakfast table and opened up with the surprise attack.

“Have you lost your mind?!” Dad had yelled.

“Dear, please,” mom said, trying to calm him down.

“You want to change schools to follow a boy? There is no way - no way in hell!”

Nanako had prepared for this type of outrage, but even knowing it was going to happen didn’t help reduce the pain of it. She tried her best to keep her own anger and hurt in check.

“You yourself said he didn’t do anything wrong!”

“I said he _probably_ didn’t do anything wrong, but come on Nanako, people who are totally innocent don’t find themselves in situations where they can be blamed for something,” Dad shot back.

“That’s not true and you know it,” Nanako said. Dad growled and took a slug of his coffee to give himself a moment to think.

“I just don’t understand. There are lots of boys at your school, you can meet any one of them! That Okura boy with the phone seemed nice enough,” Dad argued.

“Dad, this isn’t about chasing a boy. It’s about doing what’s right. He’s being sent somewhere alone. It’s cruel.”

“He’ll get over it.”

“Or he won’t. Do you know what kind of pain loneliness causes?”

There was a long silence after that. Nanako regretted it the moment the last syllable came out of her mouth.

Of course dad knew what kind of pain it caused. He had felt it himself when her mom, her first mom, died. He had also _caused_ the pain when Nanako had been forced to grow up too quickly.

Dad knew that. He had worked hard in the last years to make up for it, and he had. Nanako didn’t have one shred of resentment for him for that time. But he probably didn’t fully believe her. And now he was being told off, again. Forced to live the pain of his past mistakes.

“I think everyone needs to sit down and start over,” mom said. Nanako couldn’t remember when she and her dad had started yelling on their feet, but Nanako obeyed, sitting demurely at the table. Dad paused a moment, took another drink of coffee, and sat down.

“Nanako, you have put a lot of thought into this plan, and I can see it’s not just a spur of the moment decision,” mom said. Nanako had typed up and printed a full list of rationales, a budget for how she would live over in Tokyo, and a proposed visiting schedule where she would come back to Inaba at regular intervals to see them, including all the major holidays. “However…this is still a sudden and… _unusual_ request.”

“I know,” Nanako said.

“Then you can understand why we need a little time to talk about this and think it over,” mom said.

“But…yes. I understand.”

“Maybe give me and your dad a moment?”

Nanako nodded and retreated to her room. When she got there, she kept the door cracked, lay on the floor, and stuck her ear out into the hallway to try and hear as much as she could.

“There’s no way this is happening,” dad said.

“Dear, Shujin Academy is a great school, did you even look at the pamphlet Nanako printed out?”

“That’s not the point,” Dad snapped. “I almost lost her once. I can’t do that again.”

“I think you’re being a little dramatic,” mom said.

“I am _not_.”

“You are. She wants to go to a different school, not join the circus. It’s Tokyo, not a war zone.”

“Anything could happen,” Dad said.

“You’re right, it could. And that means anything could happen here, in Inaba. I understand, it’s hard to let go.”

“You _don’t_ understand it’s…” Dad said, stopping himself.

“Don’t you dare say it, Ryotaro. That girl is my daughter too. I may not have given birth to her, but I love her from the depths of my heart.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m upset.”

“You’re _afraid_. And that’s okay,” mom said. “I’m afraid too. She’s growing up so fast, and I’m afraid I haven’t done enough to prepare her for it. But someday she’ll leave us, whether it’s to get a job or get married or whatever. If we don’t let her leave, we run the risk of her being so angry that we never see her again after she becomes an adult.”

“Nanako would never do that,” Dad said. Nanako had to agree.

“Maybe not. But think of everything she could learn from this. And besides, she’s already said she’d come back to visit often. And she wouldn’t be alone. You trust your nephew, don’t you?”

“Of course I trust him. He’s not just my nephew, he’s like a son to me,” Dad said. There was a pause, then the sound of dad getting up.

“I’m late for work. I’ll think about it.”

“Of course. I love you.”

The sound of a kiss. Then the door. Then footsteps towards her room.

Nanako jumped off the floor and rushed over to her bed, trying to lay casually on it. But now that she was thinking about it, she couldn’t remember what she did when she was laying casually. Did she keep her arms above her head or at the side?

Mom knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Nanako sat up. Mom took the desk chair.

“He’ll think about it,” she said.

“Okay.”

“Now that it’s just the two of us, woman to woman, do you like this boy, Nanako?”

A burning blush blazed on her cheeks. “I…I mean, I did. In middle school, I definitely liked him. But that faded. And now, I don’t know, I just got to know him again recently. Nothing special, just a few conversations. I know that doesn’t seem like a lot, but I really felt like I got to know him.”

Nanako sighed.

“I sound like a fool, I know,” she said.

“Not so much as you think. It only took two conversations with your dad for me to know that I was going to fall in love with him.”

“Really? They must have been special conversations.”

“Well, the first time I was actually giving a statement about a crime. But he was very patient and professional and I liked how he looked. Then I ran into him again at the supermarket, and I thought to myself ‘Kaho, go up and talk to that man and see if there’s more to him than being a detective.’ And I was right,” mom said.

“I love that story. But I don’t think that’s what’s going on here,” Nanako said.

“Well, whatever is going on, your heart is big, Nanako, and you care about everyone. We just don’t want you to get that heart hurt or broken, because that would be a huge loss to the world.”

“I get it, mom,” Nanako said.

“Now, was Yu okay with you staying with him?”

Nanako felt a pit in her stomach.

“I forgot to ask him!”

“I thought so,” mom said as she got up. “You’d better call him before your dad does.”

She left.

Nanako rushed for her phone and called.

“Hey Nanako,” her big bro said. He sounded hushed. “I’m in a meeting, what’s up?”

“Oh, sorry!” Nanako said. She was about to say she’d call back, but instead said “Can I come live with you in Tokyo?”

“What?” he said, a little louder.

“I want to transfer schools to Tokyo, so can I live with you?”

Nanako heard a voice in the background, and then her big bro answer the voice, though she couldn’t make out what was being said.

“Yeah, sure, that’s fine, I’ll call you later.”

He hung up. Nanako sighed with relief and fell back on her bed.

She had snuck out to talk to Yukiko, came up with a plan on how to get to Tokyo, strategically deployed it, then managed to con her big bro into agreeing to something without really understanding it.

Maybe Ren had rubbed off on her more than she thought.

Ren.

When she thought of him now, it wasn’t the cool and mysterious man of mystery. She thought of his sad eyes and his hopelessness. And that thought steadied the resolve in her heart.

“I won’t let you be alone,” Nanako whispered.


	15. 3/17 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako hides out.

Nanako knocked. The door opened.

“Nanako? Everything all right?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Can I hide here for a while?”

“Uh, sure. But I’m in the middle of filiming something…”

“That’s fine. I’m just tired of walking around and don’t want to go home right now,” she said. “Unless this isn’t a good time, I can find somewhere else to be.”

“Nah, come on in. You wanna work the camera?”

Nanako looked at the expensive DSLR on the robotic-like tripod. Before she could answer, the whole device was placed into her hands.

“Don’t worry about it being shakey, the gimbal will keep it steady. Just keep it pointed on the action.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to mess it up,” Nanako said.

“I’m sure, you’re doing me a favor. Okay, hit that red button on the back, then count me in from three.”

Nanako found the button, pushed it, then lined up the shot to keep his face in center frame.

“Three….two…one…” Nanako said.

“What’s up, punks! I’m Tatsumi Kanji, and welcome back to another episode of Badass Crafting! Today, I was gonna do another part of our cute little gopher family, but I’ve got a guest camera girl who’s an old friend of mine hanging out with me, so I’m gonna change it up. It’s important to go with your heart when inspiration strikes you. If anyone tells you otherwise, go tell them to kiss a squid.”

Kanji walked through the workshop, which took up most of his house. Nanako followed, trying to keep the camera locked on him as best she could. The tripod, which Kanji had called a gimbal, had a bunch of motors on it that kept the camera level, even as she bounced up and down. It was pretty amazing how smooth it was.

“All right camera girl, pick an animal,” Kanji said.

“How about a fox?” she said, remembering the fox from the shrine.

“Fox, awesome. Now remember everybody, I got all these animal bodies made ahead of time cause I’m making them in such a huge batch, but you don’t gotta feel like you need to do that. If you need to make the base body for the doll, click on the link below and find the fox tutorial.”

Kanji reached into a plastic bin and dug through it, retrieving a couple of doll bodies. They were adorable little plush bodies with fox noses and ears and tails, but they lacked any other detail. One was a traditional rust orange, the other was dark blue.

“Which one?” he asked.

“Blue,” she said, surprising herself.

“Good choice! Now, we got our little fox guy here, and like I said, sometimes it’s just good to let your inspiration pull you in whatever direction. If you’re in a crafting slump, or you need a break from a big project, it helps to just let your creativity run wild! In this case, I’m letting my camera girl do all the picking, which is a cool challenge too. Now, we gotta make this little fox guy _badass!_ What do you think we should add on?”

“Uh…” Nanako had to think about this. What was badass, anyway? “I’m not sure I’m the best person to ask what’s considered ‘badass.’”

“We all have a little badass in us. Come on, when you hear the word, what do you think of?”

“A sword?” Nanako said.

“Yes, swords are totally badass! Let’s go with a katana.”

Kanji dug through more drawers and started dropping all sorts of scraps of fabric, spools of thread, buttons, and other little accessories onto the table. Then he rapidly organized them on the worktable. One of the accessories was a small katana in its sheath.

“Now we gotta give this little katana scabbard a little flair, so instead of leaving it black, I’m gonna wrap a layer of red fabric on it and then glue it down, then add some gold details here.”

Nanako brought the camera closer to Kanji’s hands, trying to catch as many of the details as she could. Kanji spoke about the specific aspects of how he was doing the crafting, giving tips and tricks and things to look out for if someone was doing the same thing at home.

When the sword was done, Kanji sewed it into the fox’s hand.

“Hey, there we go! Looking more badass already, huh? Now we gotta give the fox some clothes. What do you think, camera girl?”

“Jackets are pretty badass,” Nanako said.

“Hell yeah they are!”

This is how it went for the next twenty five minutes - Kanji asking a question, yelling “hell yeah!” and then explaining with extensive detail about how he was making each piece of his clothing. The final piece, they decided, was to give the little fox a white and blue striped sash. Kanji was finishing up the stitching on the sash.

“You know,” Kanji said without breaking his concentration on the sewing, “a lot of you at home are probably saying ‘man Kanji-senpai, I can’t do this, it’s too hard,’ or some crap like that. Well, you’re wrong, you can do it. I’ve been doing this for a long time, so I have lots of practice, so that’s why it may seem like it looks easy for me.”

He kept sewing.

“You may also be saying things like ‘ah, but I’m not this creative’ or ‘I don’t have the patience to do something like this’ or ‘I really want to do this but I don’t think I can.’ You’re wrong about that too. People are complicated. We’re a lot of things at the same time, which means that if you look hard enough, you can find everything inside of you that you need and want to be. You wanna be better at design, then you can be better at design. If you wanna be better at stitching, you can do that too. You can be both badass and crafty, if you want. The important thing is to be true to yourself, and not let anyone else tell you what you should or should not be.”

He finished the sash and set the little fox samurai on the table.

“Look at this guy. He’s both cute and badass. But he’s more than a samurai. I bet he has all sorts of other parts of his life that you wouldn’t know by just looking at him. Hell, the real samurai would sit around and do all sorts of art when they weren’t fighting in wars. I bet our little fox guy is a painter.”

He pat the top of the samurai fox.

“That does it for today’s crash course project. If you got questions or suggestion, leave it in the comments! Until next time, remember to practice your craft, be true to yourself, and stand up to people who hurt others. Later!”

Nanako hit the button. The camera beeped. Kanji let out a long breath.

“Wow, one take, that was a good one,” Kanji said. “Thanks a bunch, Nanako.”

“You’re welcome. What you said at the end was really nice.”

“Ah, it’s not much. I just say things I wish people had said to me when I was younger,” Kanji said. He worked on cleaning up his workspace, putting everything exactly where it was supposed to go.

“I bet everyone that made fun of you had no idea you’d be a huge YouTube star,” Nanako said.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s nice to be able to make money from these videos. But really, I just hope there’s at least one person out there like me who needs to hear what I’m saying.”

He finished cleaning up and took the camera to upload the movie to his computer for editing later. Nanako sat on a plush couch and drank green tea out of an adorable black cat mug.

“So, you sure everything’s okay?” Kanji asked. “I mean you’re welcome to be here whenever, but…”

“I’m fine. Just kinda going through a thing. And I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I get that. Hey, you wanna bake something?”

Nanako smiled. “Yeah, that sounds like fun.”

\


	16. 3/17 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dojima makes a decision.

Dad came home late. Nanako and her mom ate dinner by themselves, pointedly not-talking about the issue at hand. They both ate cookies that Nanako had made at Kanji’s place.

He was still on his phone when he walked through the door.

“You’re sure?” he said into the phone. Pause. Dad sighed. “Okay. We’ll see how it goes. I’ll talk to you soon.”

Nanako and her mom were watching TV. Mom shut it off when dad sat down at the table. Mom got up to warm up the leftovers.

“That was Yu,” Dad said.

“How’s he doing?” Nanako asked, unsure of what else to say. Dad narrowed his eyes at her.

“Let’s be very clear on one thing, Nanako. The minute you step out of line, or your grades slip, or there’s any risky behavior going on, you’re on a train back to Inaba.”

Nanako felt her heart leap.

“You mean…I can go?”

“ _If_ you can get into Shujin Academy, and _if_ you agree to the rules of how you’re going to behave in Tokyo, and _if_ you don’t give your cousin a hard time…then…yes.”

Nanako leapt across the table and hugged her dad with all her strength. Excitement and relief rushed out at her all at once.

“Thank you, daddy! Thank you, thank you! You won’t regret this, I promise. And I’ll come home all the time, and call you and mom even more!”

Dad grumbled, but hugged his daughter anyway.

“There’s a lot to do, so you better get a start on it. I’ll sign whatever paperwork you need, but if you want to get into Shujin you’re going to have to do it yourself,” Dad said, as if somehow that was going to stop her. They both knew it wouldn’t - a little paperwork was a snap for Nanako.

“Right, I better go look up the application right now,” she said, leaping up to her feet. “And I’ll need to figure out some good extra-curriculars, maybe find a list of the clubs, and I’ll most likely need letters of recommendation so I better email Yosuke and…”

She kept listing off things as she ran to her room.

Ryotaro Dojima sat in front of his reheated dinner with a mixture of pride and sadness in his heart. Where did the little girl who sang the Junes theme song go?

But, he mused to himself, this was the nature of parenting. An endless cycle of frustration, joy, and sadness.

His wife kissed him on the cheek.

“I’m proud of you.”

“I just hope I don’t regret it,” he said.


	17. 3/17 - Evening - SHINJUKU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, at Crossroads...

**SHINJUKU**

Ichiko Ohya was ready to get very drunk.

It was a lull at Crossroads, which was her favorite, since it meant that she had Lala-chan all to herself. Lala-chan had grown an immunity to Ohya’s bitching and moaning, and so she could let it all out. Besides, Lala-chan was a bartender, it was part of the job to listen to confessions.

Like a priest that served you booze.

Lala-chan saw her in the doorway and had the first drink waiting for her before Ohya’s butt hit the stool. She tipped it back, letting the amber liquid burn down her throat, and then pushed the tumbler back towards Lala-chan.

“Another, please.”

“Rough day again?” Lala-chan said, with no shortage of sarcasm. If having two drinks meant a rough day, then all of Ohya’s days were rough.

She wouldn’t necessarily disagree with that.

“I swear they’re trying to kill me,” Ohya said. “I used to think they just wanted to drive me out of the paper. Now I think…no, I _know_ they want me dead. Work me to death like so many 40 year old salarymen. Well, I’ll show them. You can’t kill me of stress if my blood is 10% alcohol.”

“If your liver doesn’t get you,” Lala-chan said.

“Hush you. You get your money, don’t you?”

“I won’t if you die. Maybe I should have you pay off your tab more often,” she said.

“Lala-chaaaaaan, don’t be mean to meeeee…”

Ohya put her head on the bar and enjoyed the cool wood on her forehead.

She heard the door open but didn’t bother to look up.

“What’ll it be, darling?” Lala-chan asked the newcomer.

“Just a beer,” said a mellow voice. “Is she…?”

“Too drunk to sit up? Not yet,” Lala-chan said.

Ohya looked up.

The newcomer was a man about her age, maybe a little older. He was strikingly handsome, wearing a well-fitted black jacket over a silver-threaded collared shirt that matched his platinum hair. He slipped into the stool next to hers, which caused Ohya to sit up.

“I know you,” she declared. Yes, he wasn’t just strikingly handsome, but also familiar, though she couldn’t quite place it.

“Do you? I was actually under the impression that you quite ignored me,” he said. Lala-chan brought over his beer. He gave it a sip.

“Narukami,” she said. “That’s right. You’re Narukami. You work the entertainment beat too.”

“That’s right,” he said with a small smile. “You don’t really pay much attention to the other entertainment reporters, so I wasn’t sure you’d recognize me.”

“Pch. Well. It’s nothing personal,” Ohya said, grabbing her fresh drink and taking a gulp. “It’s just…”

“Below you,” he said. Ohya took another sip of her drink, but just a small one. This Narukami had followed her here for a reason. Nobody just randomly walked into Crossroads.

“What’s your angle, Narukami? You here on behalf of the chief?” she asked.

“No, not at all. I actually don’t like the chief that much.”

Hm. That put a point in his favor, though the chief might have told him that. Ohya hadn’t made much effort to hide her distaste for her boss.

“You obviously followed me here, you obviously have something on your mind, so just say it. No sense dancing around,” she said.

“I’m sure you’d make a great dance partner,” he said.

Ohya felt a little flutter in her heart over that, and hated herself for it.

“Spit it out, Narukami.”

“The entertainment beat is below you. I get it. You didn’t get into the news business to report on sneakers and movies and-”

“And mobile games with anime girls using giant guns to grab the attention of sex-crazed teen boys?” she said. “Yeah, you’re right, I didn’t.”

“Neither did I,” he said.

Ohya thought a little longer about Narukami. He was right, she didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about her co-workers, but she was a good reporter, and that meant knowing what she was working with. She had read his articles.

“You write the idol articles,” she said. “And they’re good ones. You’re always scooping everyone else.”

He shrugged. “It’s where they put me because I was nosing around some things I wasn’t supposed to. Sound familiar?”

It did. That intrigued her, but also put up her guard.

“Drink more beer,” she ordered. Narukami gave her a sidelong look, but did as he was told.

“Why tell me?” Ohya asked.

“Because it’s hard to find people who want to reach out for the truth,” Narukami said. “And when you find them, you have to stick together.”

“I don’t do partners,” Ohya said. _Anymore_ , she almost said.

“I don’t need a partner. But an ally might be nice. A confidant.”

“Scratch my back and I scratch yours?” she asked.

“Something like that.”

She took another drink.

“Maybe. I don’t trust you yet.”

“Good, I don’t trust you either. But I’ll make the first move,” he said, reaching into his pocket. He slipped out a folded piece of printer paper, dropped it on the bar, then went to take another drink of his beer. Ohya picked it up and unfolded it.

There was a picture printed from a laser printer, along with a name: Tomohisa Aso.

“Who’s this?”

“The director of the Special Investigations Unit,” he said. “Know anything about him?”

She thought.

“No, not off hand. But I can check some of my notes. What’d he do?”

“That’s more info than I’m willing to share,” he said. “But if you find anything, let me know?”

“And what do I get in exchange?”

“My help, if I can give it. And knowing that you’re working for the truth,” he said.

This was a bad idea. She was drinking, tired, lonely, and a good-looking guy was offering her an ally. It’d been so long since she’d had anyone that she could trust. She wanted it more than she wanted to admit.

She was probably walking right into a trap.

And yet, Tomohisa Aso intrigued her.

“Murakami Kayo,” she said in return. “Hear that name?”

“Can’t say that I have.”

“If you do, tell me,” she said.

“Deal.”

He reached for his paper, but she snatched it up and stuck it into her pocket.

“I’ll be keeping that,” she said.

“Suit yourself.” He turned and drained the rest of his beer, then put money - with a generous tip - on the counter. “Be seeing you around, Ohya-san.”

She watched him stride to the door. When he got to the edge, he stopped.

“A little tip for you, get an informant about your entertainment topics. Speeds up the process and gives you more time to investigate the important things.”

He left.

When the door shut behind him, Lala-chan said, “Mmm, _mmm_ , he was a dream wasn’t he? If you didn’t accept his offer, I was going to accept it for you. I could stand to have him around my place more often.”

Ohya downed the rest of the second drink and waved the glass impatiently at Lala-chan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The SIU Director actually doesn't have a real name. Tomohisa Aso is the name of his Japanese voice actor.


	18. 4/8 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako departs.

“You’ll call when you get to Yu’s place safely. _Call_ , not text,” Dad said.

“Yes, of course.”

“And call often. Mom is going to be worried about you,” he said.

“Just mom?” Nanako teased.

Her dad hugged her. Her mom wasn’t far behind.

“I’m so proud of you. Have a good time, and we’ll look forward to hearing all about your adventure.”

“Thanks for everything, mom.”

She looked at both of them.

“I love you guys! Take care of Inaba for me!”

Then she picked up her luggage and pulled it onto the train.

She found a seat next to the window and put her luggage and backpack beside her. The train lurched forward and began to pick up speed.

Her parents waved until they were completely out of sight.

Nanako let out a long breath and settled back in her seat. She was sad to be leaving them, of course. Sad to be leaving Inaba, too. It was home. It would always be home. But it, along with her parents, would be waiting for her when she got back.

She pulled out a small notebook from her coat pocket and looked at the checklist. Already crossed off was “pack” “get snacks” “confirm train schedule and times” and “remind big bro.”

Now she crossed off “go to Tokyo.”

All that was left was “find big bro” “unpack” “go over school requirements.”

It felt weird to just sit there and watch the world go by. The last few days had been such a whirlwind of activity and emotion between planning, packing, communicating with Shujin Academy, and all the ridiculous goodbye parties. Seriously, did she really need one from Yukiko, Kanji, and her parents separately?

She had to admit it was nice, though. How could she be nervous or afraid when she had so much love sending her off?

Nanako opened her backpack and got out the small pack of chocolate cookies she bought at the train station vending machine. She probably shouldn’t be eating cookies this early in the morning, but who was going to stop her?

She was on her own now.


	19. 4/8 Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako arrives.

“Nanako, over here!”

Nanako’s heart leapt when she heard her big bro’s voice. She had just finished wrestling her luggage onto the platform and was about to text him when he called out.

“Hey big bro!” she called out.

He swept in and hugged her.

She’d last seem him at New Year’s, but it still felt like it had been an eternity. He was dressed sharply, as always, though his shirt was a little wrinkled and his face a little haggard.

“You’ve been working too hard,” Nanako declared.

“Me? Never. I slack off as much as I can,” he said with a grin. He grabbed the pull-handle of her luggage and led them away from the platform.

“You do not,” Nanako said.

“I do! I don’t even write my own stories.”

She rolled her eyes and he laughed.

“Thanks again for letting me stay with you,” she said. “I wasn’t sure you were going to let me.”

“You tricked me the first time,” he said.

Darn, how’d he figure that out?

“Yeah, but it’s been almost a month, you could’ve backed out at any time. So thanks. I’ll try not to be in the way, I know there’s not a lot of space.”

Yu frowned. “Huh? Oh. Right. When was the last time you saw my place?”

Nanako thought for a moment. “I guess it’s been about two years. Why?”

“I moved,” Yu said. “Don’t worry, there’s plenty of space.”

Nanako was surprised, but also glad. The last time she’d visited, he’d been living in a cramped one bedroom apartment next to the train tracks. Fortunately, big bro was neat and organized, but she had mentally prepared herself for sleeping on the living room floor and spending most of her time at the library or a cafe or something. Then again, big bro worked a lot, so she had hoped that maybe he’d be the one out all the time.

This was a welcome relief.

And maybe a sign that she was doing the right thing.

Yu didn’t bother with taking the train back to his place and ordered a taxi instead. They got in, and Nanako stared at the window some more.

“It’s so crazy that you live here,” Nanako said. “It’s just…so much. It’s almost too much.”

“It’s definitely not Inaba,” Yu said. “But I grew up here, remember? You’ll get used to it. There’s a certain rhythm to the city. It’s faster, maybe a little more frantic, but you’ll be a cynical city-dweller in no time.”

Nanako wasn’t quite sure about that. Already she was feeling a little more nervous. She’d been to Tokyo before, of course, to visit. But visiting a place was very different than living in it.

“By the way…Dojima never told me why you wanted to come out here,” her big bro said.

“Oh. He didn’t? Huh.” Nanako said.

“If that was you trying to avoid the question, you did an awful job,” Yu said. “Come on, I’m the one putting a roof over your head, don’t you think I deserve to know?”

“Uh, well. It’s…I’m trying to do the right thing, you could say.”

“For yourself?”

“Yes. And for someone else,” she admitted.

“Aha. Then this person must be very important to you.”

Nanako studied her big bro. He was tricking her. He was speaking with an easygoing tone and seeming to keep the questions light, but he was slowly closing in on the truth. He was just being very patient about it.

“You’re trying to reporter me,” she said.

“Yes I am, and it’s working rather well.”

“I give up,” she said. Then she told him. Not quite everything - again the whole part about breaking and entering was glossed over and left vague. But she told him everything else: the shrine, Ren’s unjust situation, her desire to help him.

By the time she was done, the taxi had pulled up to a shining apartment building in Shibuya. Yu unloaded the luggage and tipped the driver. A doorman opened the front door and then rushed to take the luggage from Yu, setting it on a luggage cart.

Another doorman pushed the button to the elevator. When the elevator closed, Nanako turned to her big bro, shocked.

“This place is _nice!_ How on earth do you afford it?”

“Hey, I’m a good writer,” he said, sounding mock-offended. “I got a promotion recently. I thought maybe it was time to live a little nicer.”

The elevator stopped, and the pair of them exited. The second doorman was already waiting by the apartment door with the luggage. Yu thanked him and then helped Nanako take it inside.

The place was even more gorgeous on the inside. The living room had huge windows that led onto a balcony that overlooked the bustling city below. The living room itself had a nice couch in front of a huge television. There was a dining room table big enough to seat eight, and then a gorgeous modern kitchen with new, stainless steel appliances.

“All of this for writing articles about idols…” Nanako said, amazed. Yu chuckled and motioned for her to follow.

“Your room in this way.”

They walked down a short hallway to a bathroom and bedroom. The bedroom was done in a sleek modern style, with a bed, desk, bookshelf and dresser. It too had a window that looked out onto the city.

“Will this do?” Yu asked.

“This is amazing! But you’re not sleeping on the couch or something, are you?”

He laughed. “No, my room is on the other side of the apartment. It’s a three bedroom. You have free reign of the place, but I’d ask you to stay out of the other two bedrooms. One is mine, the other is my home office.”

“Sure, of course. Thanks big bro, this is amazing.”

“I’ll let you get unpacked and then we can get some dinner. Maybe you want to invite your friend?”

Nanako looked confused. “My friend?”

“Yeah, the one you were talking about. Amamiya.”

“Oh. Uh. Well, he doesn’t actually know I’m here.”

It was Yu’s turned to look surprised.

“You didn’t tell him?”

“I uh…no, I guess not. It sorta slipped my mind.”

“What are you going to say to him when you see him?”

“Uh…I…” Nanako felt a fresh new rush of panic. “I’m not sure.”

“Well, you might want to tell him before you see him at school. I don’t know about him, but if someone from home followed me out to Inaba when I moved, I would’ve thought they were a bit…eccentric.”

“You mean crazy. A crazy stalker.”

Yu winced, but nodded. Nanako groaned.

“It’s okay, just tell him, like I said. And maybe tell him that you were interested in…uh…what’s at Shujin that might interest you?”

“I’m going to volleyball practice tomorrow,” Nanako said. “The coach, Kamoshida-sensei, is a former Olympic athlete, and I hear Shujin has a really great team”

“There you go. Think about using that.”

“Isn’t that lying?” Nanako asked.

“Technically, yes.”

“You want me to lie?”

“It’s just a suggestion. Like I said, I’d think it was strange if someone followed me.”

Yu nodded and left the room. Nanako set her luggage on the bed and unzipped it, beginning to unpack.

Great. What _was_ she going to say to Ren?

There was still a couple of days before school started. She had time.

She could fix this.


	20. 4/9 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako meets Kamoshida.

When Nanako first arrived to Shujin, she found it a little intimidating.

But at that moment, it was the last thing on her mind.

The school was just so sleek compared to Yasogami High. Sure, it was still essentially a school, but everything had a shine to it. Even the way the uniforms were designed, with their trendy little chevrons on the collar, and the bone white, pitch black and blood red colors, just seemed so much cooler.

Sophisticated.

Maybe even dangerous.

It was the first time since arriving that she wondered if she was going to be too much of a country girl to fit in.

But she wasn’t thinking about that anymore.

It was an open practice - anyone could show up. They weren’t exactly try-outs, but Nanako could definitely feel Kamoshida-sensei’s gaze locked on her every move.

He was a nice enough guy, she figured. Gregarious, smiley - though there was a bit of an edge when he started talking about volleyball. That was to be expected of a coach, especially a former Olympian.

The thing that she had noticed first though was just how _large_ he was. He was tall, with a classic V-torso and hefty muscles. Nanako wasn’t sure she’d ever met someone so muscular in person before. Standing next to him was a little intimidating.

She wouldn’t exactly call him _handsome_. His jaw was like a lantern and felt like it belonged more on a comic book character than a real person. But if the other teachers at Shujin were like him, she figured that she would be fine.

But she wasn’t thinking about Kamoshida, either.

The gym was nice. Nanako had brought her new PE uniform, snapped on some knee pads, made sure her twin-tails were secured, and got ready to play some volleyball.

She wasn’t the best player, even back at Yasogami High. But she was athletic enough to be a decent teammate. She had filled the role of the defensive-support player on her old team, as well as team spirit leader. It was always fun to make posters for her teammates or just text them and see if they were doing all right.

But she wasn’t thinking about her old team.

As it turned out, being a mediocre player at Yasogami meant that she was a terrible player at Shujin. Everyone there - the boys and girls alike - had tremendous skill. They were quick, strong, and most importantly seemingly unafraid to dive for the ball, wherever it was heading.

It was like they didn’t feel the pain. Like it had been conditioned out of them, somehow.

But that would’ve been fine by Nanako. She didn’t have to be good. She could practice and get better. It was all a stepping stone to something better. It was like Kanji in his videos, when he said that he had a lot of practice. She just had to apply herself.

But she wasn’t thinking about that either.

“Why are you even here?” came the bemused taunt from the other side of the net. The girl had black hair tied into a ponytail, and looked at Nanako with total disgust.

“I’m playing volleyball,” Nanako said. The girl held in a laugh.

“That’s not playing volleyball. You’re playing keepy-uppy. You want me to get you a balloon you can bounce around? If you’re a good girl, you can have a cupcake.”

Nanako frowned. “What’s your problem?”

“You. You’re gonna drag this time down if you join it. Even if Kamoshida keeps you on, you’ll never do well. But he’ll put you in as a pity move or something and you’re gonna blow an important play.”

The girl walked right to the edge of the net, her nose nearly touching it.

“Go home,” she said.

“No,” Nanako said, standing straighter. “I have a right to be here.”

“Then I’ll show you that you don’t belong,” the girl said. She walked over to the serve line. Nanako stood back to her defensive position, where another girl was standing.

“Who’s that?” Nanako asked.

“Shiho Suzui, the best player on the girl’s team. Don’t talk to me, I don’t want to get in trouble from her.”

The play started. Shiho served, Nanako returned it with a bump. But Shiho was already sky-high and spiked it down half-a-heartbeat after Nanako had bumped it.

The ball crashed into Nanako’s shoulder with enough force to knock her over. Shiho gave her a cold look, then a sneer.

“Point for us,” she said.

This is the only thing that Nanako thought about.

Beating the sneer off of Shiho’s face.

Nanako ran for every play, put more hustle and effort into this practice than she ever did. She prayed to Chie, hoping that somehow she could lend Nanako her strength and athleticism.

She gave it her absolute all. She was soaked with sweat, her knees were raw, and her feet were getting blisters from her new shoes.

It wasn’t enough.

Nanako dove left to block Shiho’s shot, but Shiho had shot it to her right. Nanako lay face-down on the court. Shiho ducked under the net and knelt next to her.

“Game point, bitch,” Shiho muttered. “Don’t come back here.”

There was a whistle, and everyone moved to clean up.

“Hey, Nanako-chan,” Kamoshida said. He set his big hand on her left shoulder in a friendly, gentle sort of way. Nanako was sitting at the bench, working on putting her walking shoes back on.

“Hi, sensei,” Nanako said. “I guess I didn’t realize how good you all were. Sorry for wasting your time.”

Kamoshida smiled.

“Not at all, Nanako-chan. You were really sweatin’ out there. I don’t think anyone else put as much effort into this practice as you did. If they had your hustle, we’d win the championship for sure.”

Nanako shrugged. It was kind of a lop-sided shrug, since Kamoshida still had his hand on her shoulder.

“I think you have a lot of potential. You have some growing to do, sure, but once you fill out your weak spots, you could be a very good player. I’d like to keep you on the team. I don’t know if you would be a starter, or how much game time you would get…but I can help you. I’d even work with you one on one for some specialized training,” Kamoshida said.

“That’s very nice of you, sensei. I’ll have to think about it.”

“Of course,” he said, lifting his hand away from her shoulder. “Have a good evening, Nanako-chan.”

He flashed a big smile over his extra large chin. Nanako smiled back politely, though she wasn’t really in a smiling mood.

She made her way out of the gym and over to the school’s main gate. As she was walking out of the gate, she spotted two people looking at her.

The first was Shiho. The second was a tall girl with blonde hair and an amazing figure. Nanako thought she could be a model, though that just might be because she had pigtails like Rise. They were talking when she stepped out, but stopped when they spotted Nanako.

They both stared her down.

Nanako gave them a friendly wave, then turned to head to the train station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dates from this point forward will not match up with the dates in game. Even though P5 is in 20XX, the days of the week line up for it being in 2016. Since this is 2021, I'm using the days of the week it will be.


	21. 4/9 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako thinks.

Nanako lay in the bath back at her big bro’s apartment - though she supposed she had to start thinking of it as “her” apartment now. The water was able to get scalding hot, and it was surprisingly spacious.

But not even the luxury living made Nanako feel better about her day. Firstly, she was sore all over. She was surprised to see that the ball that Shiho spiked had actually left a bruise on her shoulder. There were dozens of bruises along her legs and forearms too - nothing massive, but enough to make her feel a little self-conscious. There was also just the general ache of her exerting so much.

She should’ve kept up the daily physical training regimen Chie had put her on…

She took a breath, put her nose at the surface of the water, and blew bubbles with it.

The thing that troubled Nanako the most was how Shiho had acted. Maybe she was right and that Nanako wouldn’t do much for the team, but did she have to be so aggressive about it? Why not just talk to Kamoshida alone? Or better yet, why not just talk to Nanako herself and talk about the concerns? What was all this violence about?

But, she could actually understand Shiho’s line of thinking. Nanako didn’t think it was right, but she could understand it.

What she didn’t understand was the rest of the students. They no doubt _saw_ Nanako get bullied, but nobody say anything. Not one person stood up for her, or quietly talked to Kamoshida, or even gave her an apologetic look.

Was this the kind of place she had signed up to spend the whole year? A place where everyone is lethally competitive about everything? Would she be spending the year fighting off jealous and territorial popular girls?

What would Ren do about this?

He’d probably find a way to embarrass Shiho. Find out a dark secret, expose it in front of everyone.

No. He wouldn’t. He’d put on his fake glasses and fade into the background.

The one time he’d broken the law was to save someone else.

Now Nanako’s stomach was tying itself in knots about Ren. She still hadn’t texted or called him. Yu’s suggestion to use the volleyball team didn’t seem like such a good idea anymore. But even before her tryout fiasco, there was something about making up a lie to him that didn’t sit right with her.

But telling him the truth was scary.

Was it because her feelings weren’t as altruistic as she was trying to convince everyone? Was she really doing all of this for a stolen kiss that may or may not have been real? Or rather, a stolen kiss that was more than likely not real?

She groaned and sunk lower into the bath.

Nanako had no one to blame but herself. She wanted an exciting life.

Stress and disappointment is exciting too.


	22. 4/11 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu remembers drama.

When Nanako was a child, she took control.

Her mother had died. Her father had lost himself in alcohol, work, and grief. She was six years old, and the world no longer made any sense.

So she took control.

She cooked, cleaned, and set her own bedtime. She watched her father’s emotions like a hawk, working hard to never make any trouble for him, and to make him feel better. The few times she asked for something - going on a trip, having a vacation - she always felt terrible about it afterwards. She felt guilty. Greedy. After all, her father had been in so much pain, how could she be so selfish?

It was big bro that helped her realize that wanting those things was _normal_. And it was he who let her begin to reclaim her childhood.

Of course, dad got better, and Nanako was able to reclaim a happy childhood.

But that mechanism of taking control never left her.

She’d only been to Shujin twice - once for the volleyball practice and once to meet the principal and her new homeroom teacher, Kawakami-sensei - and her life was already chaotic. Nanako hadn’t realized how much she was counting on the volleyball team as her starting point. Not only would it give her some purpose and structure to school, but it would have built in a social group, at least to start with.

It also was a really convenient excuse for Ren.

So Nanako made lists.

Lists of possible excuses. Lists of possible other clubs to try. Lists of other sports to do. Lists of ways to make new friends. If she could make a solid plan, she could navigate through this awkward transition.

“Did they give you homework already?” Yu asked. Nanako had set up all of her lists at the dining room table, spread out in an orderly grid. She was scanning over the lists again and again, looking for some angle or insight she might have missed.

“No, these are just plans for starting school,” Nanako replied. Yu leaned over the table and scanned them.

“Wow. You’re really planning for every possibility…’list of possible delinquent excuses’? What’s that one?”

“Reasons I might have been forced out of Inaba. I…probably won’t use that list. It would require me to spread rumors about myself and that’s probably not the best way to start.”

“No, I don’t think so,” Yu said kindly but firmly. “You’re not doing volleyball?”

“I don’t know if it’s for me. I was okay back home, but this team plays on a different level,” Nanako said. “Did you join a sport in high school, big bro?”

“Yeah, basketball,” he said. “Joined not long after I got to Yasogami.”

“How’d that go?”

He sat down beside her and thought.

“Well…I ended up helping the basketball ace deal with the fact that he was adopted and the sudden shift of his family no longer needing him to fulfill the family legacy.”

“…What?” Nanako said, confused.

“Long story.”

“…Okay. Did you do any other clubs?”

“Drama,” he said.

“How’d that go?”

“Dramatically,” he said with a smirk.

“Ha ha,” Nanako said flatly.

“No, really, see her father was dying…”

Nanako gave him an incredulous look. “Are you making this up to mess with me?”

“No, honestly, it all happened. I just had a very strange year,” he said. He laughed, which made Nanako laugh. “Sorry, I guess that doesn’t help you much, does it?”

“Not really,” she said. She took a deep breath and summoned up the courage to say what had been running in the back of her head for the last couple of days. “I think I made a mistake coming here.”

“Moving is always hard, no matter how much planning you do. But a little adversity is good for you. And sometimes…” her big bro said, scooping up all the lists and putting them into a pile “Having no plan is the best plan. Just go tomorrow and see what happens.”

“What about Ren? I thought you said I should have excuse ready?”

He shrugged. “I did, but maybe I was wrong about that. Maybe you’ll go tomorrow, see him, and the perfect words will just jump into your head.”

“And what if they don’t?” she asked.

“Then you’ll look like a fool. But that’s okay too. The hard part will be over. If the connection you felt you had with him was real, he’ll come around to you being there. And if it isn’t, then you’ll be here on an adventure anyway. And I get to spend a whole year with you, which I’m very happy about,” he said.

Nanako’s heart filled to the brim. “Really? I was worried I’d be getting in the way. You know, your pesky little sister getting in the way of meeting women or something.”

Yu laughed. “You don’t need to worry about that. All right, enough lists and planning. We’re going to a movie and then out to dinner. It’s your last day of break, you should enjoy it a little.”

“Thanks, big bro.”


	23. 4/11 - Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako dreams.

Nanako had the dream again.

_“Izanagi! Cut him down!”_

She had never heard big bro yell with so much raw emotion.

She was too little at the time to understand the mix of rage, fear, and desperation that strained his cries.

Above her big bro was a man made of razor blades, a black coat and white bandanna trailing behind him as he slashed a naginata at the red demon in the white t-shirt. The demon battered the razor man aside, which caused her big bro to grunt in pain, the grip on his own katana slipping.

“I wIlL SaVe HeR!” the demon cried in a distorted voice.

“Let Nanako go!” big bro cried, adjusting a pair of glasses on his face. “Persona change - Sraosha!”

The razor blade man vanished and was replaced in a flash of blue, replaced by a mermaid-like angel with four wings. The angel rose high and unleashed bright white lights that barrage at the demon like missiles.

The explosions rocked the demon, and Nanako with it.

“Big bro!” she cried out in a tiny voice. She felt herself falling.

And falling.

The dream was changing. Nanako had never seen this before. The paradise world, the red demon, her big bro, it was all gone, replaced by pitch darkness.

Then red. Dull red light expanded in front of her, in the shape of a bridge. Nanako grit her teeth, preparing for the impact, but like in every dream, she landed safely.

She stood. She was tall again, returned to her full age. She looked up at the sky, wondering if she could see the paradise world above her, but was met only with a stone ceiling.

There was groaning all around her.

She gasped and spun around in a circle, trying to find the source of the sound, but the dim red light prevented her from making anything out clear.

Until she turned all the way back around.

Suddenly there was a door ahead of her. No, not a door. The door was not solid, but had bars. It was a prison cell. Red lights criss-crossed in frightening organic patterns that reminded her of veins, illuminating the cell in a dull red light.

A woman sat on the cell floor, leaning against the wall. She wore a structured blue dress that reminded Nanako of a military uniform, though far more elegant. The details of her dress shone with glints of gold that matched her platinum blonde hair and her almost glowing yellow eyes.

She looked sad. No, worse than sad. Despondent.

Nanako took a step forward. Her single footstep echoed loudly through the chamber, sharp and harsh compared to the dull moaning that permeated everything else.

The woman turned to look at her, eyes narrowing. Nanako froze, frightened.

The woman peered closer, as if unable to believe her eyes.

“Justice?” she asked.

Nanako woke up.


	24. 4/12 - Early Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako commutes.

Of course it rained on the first day of school.

But Nanako was ready.

She hadn’t been able to sleep well after her strange dream, so she’d woken up early to put on her uniform. She looked as sleek as the rest of Shujin in it, with its red buttons and small black bow against the bright white shirt and the stylish school crest with the double chevrons. She wore black tights beneath her skirt, and even matched the hair ties for her twintails to the matching scarlet red.

She had the black school bag and a matching black umbrella. Normally, Nanako didn’t dare to break the uniform codes, but she attached one thing to her bag - the little fox samurai that Kanji had made for her before she left Inaba. Right now she felt like she needed an adorable badass protector.

She prepared breakfast and watched TV while she ate it. In the background she could hear her big bro getting ready for his day too.

“Hey, you better leave a little earlier today,” Yu called out. “There was another subway accident, so the train schedule might be affected.”

“Okay,” Nanako said.

“You remember how to get to the right platform, right?”

“We went over it twice yesterday,” she reminded him.

“I know. Just making sure. I’ll be busy today, but text me if you need anything. Oh, I put a little extra money in your bag. Just in case.”

She got up and gave him a hug.

“Thanks big bro.”

She left early, braving the rain. Her heart was pounding with the excitement and nerves of navigating Tokyo rush hour in the rain. It seemed even more crowded with the sudden influx of students peppered around the station. She must have seen at least a dozen different uniforms.

Like the white one that the boy who bumped into her wore.

“My goodness! My deepest apologies, I was caught up in observing the rain and I wasn’t paying attention!” said the boy with the blue hair and the rich deep voice. Nanako was rattled a bit from their collision, but wasn’t hurt.

“It’s okay,” she said. “The rain is beautiful.”

“Yes, it is,” he said. “It lends an air of the ethereal to the mundane. Not to mention the symbolism of nature cleaning what man has wrought upon its soil.”

“That’s a nice way of putting it,” Nanako said. The boy stared back at the rain. She waited a second for him to respond, but she realized maybe he hadn’t even heard her say anything.

She was pretty sure he wasn’t paying any attention to her anymore.

“Well…have a good day!” Nanako said before heading back to the train.

She crushed herself into train car and listened to the news. Most of it was on the subway accident from the day earlier, and all of the changes to the train schedule that were being made as a result.

She got off.

She followed other Shujin students up the stairs and on their long march towards the front of school and the beginning of a new year. Students walked in groups of three or four and huddled beneath umbrellas.

This was it, she realized. The start of everything. She had spent the whole month turning her life upside down for this day.

Would it be a special one?

She stopped dead in her tracks.

There he was.

Amamiya Ren, looking as lithe and mysterious as ever, huddling under a building from the rain.

Standing next to a gorgeous blonde.


	25. END PART 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where is the Investigation Team now?

**Where is the Investigation Team now?**

Yukiko Amagi

Age: 26

Relationship Status: Married, two children with one on the way.

After exploring the possibility of moving away from Inaba with Yu, Yukiko decided to stay in Inaba and take on the role of the next manager, continuing on her family legacy. When she graduated high school, she didn’t pursue further education, choosing instead to begin working full time at the inn immediately. Her life moved rapidly forward when at age 19 she met Sadao, a young man who came to work at the Inn as a gardener and handyman. They fell in love almost immediately, and the two were married within six months of meeting each other, much to the shock of her friends and family.

Married life was hard at first, made even more difficult by Yukiko becoming pregnant within the year. She gave birth to her first child, a son named Tsuneo. At first, Yukiko wasn’t sure she could hold together being a mother, manager, and wife. After the first bitter year, Yukiko found her inner fire and iron will and matured into a truly admirable woman. Three years later, Yukiko had her daughter Ai, and now has one more on the way. Her relationship with her husband is stronger than ever, and the future of the Amagi Inn is in excellent hands.

—

Kanji Tatsumi

Age: 25

Relationship Status: ???

After high school, Kanji went to work full time at his mother’s textile shop at the Central Shopping District in Inaba. Business had continued to slow due to the influence of Junes and online shopping. Kanji watched trends carefully and realized that if they were going to survive, the store needed to be rebranded as a “high end boutique.” Kanji took to social media, making videos about how they did business, how they worked with local sources and local businesses, and why the quality of their products were higher. He even got Rise Kujikawa to endorse the business, which helped bring new awareness.

As part of the video series, Kanji started making tutorials for small sewing projects, hoping that inspiring people to take up crafts would result in people purchasing more textiles. These soon became some of the most popular videos on their social media campaign, and Kanji quickly built a new channel to monetize the popularity of the videos. This is where he curated his “Badass Crafts” branding, remembering how he had struggled in his youth with his masculinity and his love of crafting. This took off like crazy, changing Kanji into a social media celebrity and securing the financial safety for himself and his mother.

Kanji doesn’t let the “celebrity” status get to his head. He mostly focuses on driving business to his store, producing useful and wholesome content, and replying to comments left by other lost people struggling with their identities.

—

Yu Narukami

Age: 26

Relationship Status: Single

After high school, Yu went to college to initially study to be a police detective. However, he found that enforcing the law was not enough for him and he wanted to expose deeper truths hidden by “the system.” He switched to studying journalism, where his charisma, dedication, and writing skills served him well.

After graduation, Yu worked for a small investigative news blog, focusing on national politics. He garnered some attention for his work, but the blog was not financially solvent and collapsed within a year. After that, Yu got a job at Maiasa where he initially was assigned stories on local Tokyo politics. Yu wrote several pieces that gained more attention, but also got in trouble when one of the items he exposed ended up having ties to Maiasa’s owners.

Yu was threatened to tone it down, which resulted in him pivoting to writing articles about the Japanese Idol scene. His investigative abilities have resulted in him always having the best scoops and most accurate information about idols, which boosted the readership massively. It is uncertain if Yu enjoys his job or not, but it seems like he’s working on something else in the background…

—

Yosuke Hanamura

Age: 26

Relationship Status: Single

Nobody was more surprised about Yosuke’s decision to go into teaching than him, but it is a life that has suited him. After years of complaining about “living in the sticks,” Yosuke returned to Tokyo to go to university. He found that after living in Inaba he had grown accustomed to the small town life and longed to return to it. He switched his major from business to teaching, vowing to make Yasogami High School better than when he went to it.

After graduation, Yosuke returned and got a job. He’s been a popular and effective teacher in his years at Yasogami High School. Students and faculty alike trust him, and he always works to the benefit of the community. Yosuke is also found serving on several community groups in Inaba, and there is rumor that he might run for a local election soon.

—

Chie Satonaka: ???

Naoto Shirogane: ???

Rise Kujikawa: ???

Teddie: ???


	26. 4/12 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako meets blondes.

He was staring at her.

Why was he staring at her?

I mean…yes, she was sorta stare-worthy. Tall, blonde, obviously part foreigner. And…well…alluring. Sexy. Larger than life in ways that Nanako couldn’t be. Even her…twin tails, were bigger than Nanako’s.

She stood there in the rain and watched as Ren stared.

And then all of a sudden she was gone. Whisked away in a car. He watched the car drive away, his hand held up awkwardly, as if waving the ride off. He frowned, adjusted his glasses.

Then saw her.

Nanako wanted to turn and run. Or maybe just dive headlong into the street and let traffic handle the rest.

He leaned forward, as if not believing his eyes. Maybe if she stood still he’d just turn around and forget she was there.

But that wasn’t what she wanted! She was here for him!

The awkwardness spurred her into action.

“Hi,” she said, waving.

“Nanako Dojima…?” he said. Nanako walked up to him, holding the umbrella up a little higher.

“Fancy seeing you here,” she said, trying to sound cool. Her voice wavered, though, ruining the effect.

“What are you doing here?”

“Um. Going to school,” she stammered.

“Yeah, I can see that but…are you going to Shujin? Did you…follow me?”

Before she could answer, another blonde plowed through them.

“Damn that pervy teacher!” he yelled, shaking his fist at the road. Nanako stumbled but was suddenly steadied when Ren grabbed her wrist.

“T-thanks,” Nanako said. Ren nodded, his eyes unreadable. He had put on his mask - that dead stare he had at school, the one he used to keep attention off of him. It was painful for him to look at her that way.

“What are you looking at?” the other blonde said. He had an intentional delinquent vibe, complete with non-regulation T-shirt and dyed hair. Nanako might have thought him intimidating had she not grown up looking at pictures of Kanji with his blonde hair.

Kanji was also a lot more intimidating, even as a kid.

“Hey, you’re the one who ran into us,” Nanako said. “Then yelling about perverts out in public.”

“Psh, come on, you gotta think the same thing about Kamodshida too, right?” said the vulgar boy.

“Who?” Ren asked. Nanako frowned.

“Kamoshida-sensei? The volleyball coach?” Nanako asked. Ren glanced at her, but said nothing.

“Yeah. Come on, you can’t go to Shujin and not know what Kamoshida’s like…then again, I’ve never seen either of you before. But you’re both second years…”

“We’re transfer students,” Nanako said.

“Ah. Then yeah, that’s why you don’t know. Don’t worry, you will.” he said, anger and disappointment filling his eyes. “Kamoshida acts like the king of the castle.”

“Right…” Nanako said. That hadn’t been her experience with Kamoshida. He seemed like a stern coach, but he had been kind to Nanako.

“Come on,” the vulgar boy said with a sigh. “I’ll lead you to school. We’re gonna be late, but I know a shortcut.”

He started walking. Nanako glanced at Ren.

Ren shrugged and started following.

“We’re just going to follow him?” Nanako asked.

“ _We_ aren’t doing anything,” Ren said. “I’m following. Follow if you want.”

Nanako felt her heart drop.

This was worse than she could have imagined. The absolute worst. Never had she regretted something more than she did now.

She followed a few steps behind, hoping that the boy’s shortcut would pay off.

It wasn’t much longer of a walk. The boy took them through a few narrow alleys, then turned back onto the main road.

“Whoah,” Nanako said.

She rubbed her eyes.

“This is…” Ren said.

“This is where the school is…” said the vulgar boy. “What the hell is going on?”

Nanako looked up and down at the massive castle in front of them. It was entirely out of place in modern day Tokyo - in fact it seemed like there was a red aura around the whole place, and it was cast in an artificial night. In fact, now that Nanako noticed it, the whole world had turned to darkness.

She examined the street signs. This was the right place, she’d been here twice before. And everything around the school was correct - the vending machine, the crosswalk, all of it was exactly where it should be.

So why was there a castle here?

Had she forgotten it was a castle? That didn’t seem likely. That would be a pretty big thing to forget…

She realized that Ren and the boy were walking ahead, so she shuffled up to catch up.

The grand foyer of the castle bore a massive portrait of Kamoshida with a crown on his head. It was gaudy as hell, but still somehow finely painted. Nanako couldn’t believe her eyes, and went to rub them.

When she did, her vision went blurry. The castle faded, and the school started to appear, just for a second.

“What was that?” the boy asked. “Wasn’t that the school?”

“Is this a prank?” Ren asked suddenly. The boy looked amused and irritated all at once.

“No this isn’t a prank, what kind of prank would this be?”

“Then where are we?” Nanako asked.

“How the hell should I know?!”

“Halt!” a voice called out. All three turned to watch as five huge suits of armor came trotting out. They had the three of them surrounded immediately, large broadswords drawn and their shields at the ready.

“Hey come on, this is too far,” the boy said. “I mean those are really great costumes but- hey, what the eff!”

One of the knights grabbed the boy and shoved him. Before Nanako could react, she felt a strong metal hand wrap around her wrist and yank her off-balance. Nanako cried out instinctively, frozen from pain and shock.

“Nanako!” Ren cried. He sprung forward, leaping into the air and slamming a kick in the center of the knight’s body. It was enough to send him toppling to the ground and release Nanako. Before he could do anything else, though, two more guards had him by the arms. Another cuffed the vulgar boy in the back of the head and the remaining two grabbed Nanako’s arms.

“Take them to the dungeon and then inform King Kamoshida right away!”

Nanako struggled the whole way there. She used everything she knew - the self-defense techniques from dad, the kung fu kick from Chie - even the “kick ‘em in the balls” method that Rise had once told her about. Nothing worked. The knights barely even acknowledged she was doing anything.

The stench of the dungeon hit her before anything else. It was cold and moldy from the running water, but also filled with the stench of filth and sweat. One knight went ahead and opened the heavy bars of the cell and shoved the boy and Ren into the cell.

Nanako realized that Ren was unconscious now, along with the boy. They were splayed onto the ground like ragdolls.

The knight was about to push Nanako in when one of the others stopped him.

“No, put the girl separate. You know how the King is.”

“Yeah, true.”

The knight dragged Nanako one cell over and opened it, shoving her inside.

“Keep quiet if you know what’s good for you,” the knight said. He the turned and marched off. Nanako threw herself against the bars, scrambling to see if it was unlocked. Panic seized her for a moment, and she screamed, reaching out through the bars.

Not again.

She couldn’t be kidnapped again.

This was like last time. The weird world. The demonic beings. All of it.

Wait, but those were dreams. Not real. This isn’t real, is it?

Is it a dream?

She gripped the bars and screamed again. No one came.

—

Nanako wasn’t sure how long she sat in the cell before someone came to open it. Two knights stepped in and tossed something at her feet.

“Put this on. King Kamoshida commands it.”

“Put what on?” Nanako asked.

“That,” the knight said, motioning to the thing they had just tossed. Nanako was confused, so she bent down an picked it up.

It was a black bikini.

Sort of.

Actually it looked more like lingerie, in Nanako’s opinion. There was no way that the bottoms were going to cover her whole butt, and even her modest chest was going to have to squeeze into the top.

“That’s…pretty wrong, you know,” Nanako said. “He’s a teacher. He could get in a lot of trouble for this. I don’t know what he’s doing down here, but if you don’t let me go, I’m going to be filing a very detailed report. My father is a detective, and-”

Nanako cried out when the metal fist smashed into her mouth.

“Shut up, bitch! Just put on the clothes!”

Nanako stood up and spat on the ground.

“No.”

The knight punched her again, this time in the stomach. The pain was unbearable and Nanako doubled over and rolled onto the floor. The cold stone felt good on her cheek, especially as her head was spinning.

Then the world was spinning.

And then the world was gone.


	27. 4/12 - ???

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The path of Justice.

The spinning stopped.

“Hello again, Justice,” said a voice.

Nanako sat up.

She was in a cell. No, wait, she wasn’t in a cell, she was _outside_ a cell. And not the one in the strange castle - that same cell in the darkness from her dream last night.

The woman knelt at the very edge of the cell, her delicate fingers wrapped around the square bars. Her eyes seemed to glow in the dark.

“Where am I?”

“Difficult question. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure. I am glad to see you, though. Come a little closer.”

Nanako looked around. There really wasn’t anywhere else to go in the inky void. She supposed that the pathway she stood on had to go _somewhere_ if she walked in the opposite direciton…but nothing made sense. The woman was at least a tangible thing she could interact with. Much better than falling through an endless expanse of nothingneess.

She went a little closer.

“Ah…I see he’s kept up your bond. It’s very strong. Not as strong as it once was…but still very strong,” the woman said.

“Who are you?” Nanako asked.

“My name is Margaret. I met your cousin, once upon a time…though I suppose you know him as ‘big bro.’”

“How do you know that?” Nanako demanded. She realized she was trying to pitch her voice a little lower and spoke in the same inflections her dad did when he was questioning someone.

“I read it, just now. Your bond is bright and powerful and I can read it as easily as a book. But that’s not important now. What’s important is what is going to happen next,” Margaret said.

“What do you mean? I need to get out of here.”

“Yes, and you’ll leave soon enough. But right now, I need you to realize that you are doing the wrong thing.”

“What does that mean?” Nanako asked.

“The path you are walking on was never meant for you,” Margaret said. “Your fate lies elsewhere, far away from all of this. So you must make a choice, Justice.”

“My name is Nanako,” she said.

“A beautiful name. Now, the choice.”

Margaret held out her left hand through the bars. There was a sudden blue flame that appeared and then floating in her hand was a stylized card of a scale.

“The path of Justice, your true path. Take this, and you will be returned home. You will be living your first day of Yasogami High School as a second year, and the memories of the last month will be washed away, replaced by happy memories of a fun summer.”

“You can…do that?” Nanako asked.

“Yes. I am not as powerful as my master, and down here I am even weaker…but I have some strength in me still. Enough for one boon to you, because of the fond memories I have of your big bro,” Maragret said.

“I just take that card and everything I did gets undone?” Nanako asked.

“Yes. You must feel it yourself, do you not? You were never meant to follow that boy. Every instinct you have is that you should have let him go, and that is your instinct trying to get you on the correct path of fate. There is no bright future along that path, Nanako-chan, only confusion and fear,” Margaret said.

“What will happen to Ren?” Nanako asked.

“You cannot know. His fate and yours are separate. They have become entwined through your actions, and only by your actions can they be undone.”

“So…I could stay?” Nanako asked.

“Why would you do that?”

“I…don’t know,” Nanako admitted. “I don’t know. I don’t want him to be alone. I just need to know he’ll have one friend, one good person in his life that will see him for who he is.”

“And I can’t tell you that,” Margaret said.

“So what, I’m supposed to just trust things will work out? I can’t do that. I would rather risk my life to help him than go home.”

“Choosing that would make you a fool,” Margaret said as she pushed her right hand through the bars. A new card appeared in her hand, one with the shape of a man with a sack dancing near a cliff with his dog.

“So that’s it? I choose to go home and be safe, or go back and be horribly murdered by knights?”

“I’m sorry, but there is nothing else I can do. As it is, my master would probably be upset if he knew what I was doing…but then again, this game is already rigged. If they can cheat, than so can we,” she said.

“I don’t understand,” Nanako said.

“You are not meant to. You can only make the choice with the knowledge you have. But..if I were you, I would choose Justice. Very few of of us are given such a clear choice to happiness and peace, Nanako. Don’t let it slip by.”

“I can’t,” Nanako said. “I know what you said, that I wouldn’t remember any of this…but I feel like I would. I feel like there’s already something that happened in the past that has been kept from me for my happiness. But I still dream about it. And if I let Ren face this danger alone, I feel like I would dream about it for the rest of my life.”

She reached out for the Fool.

The moment her fingers touched the card, Margaret’s hand snapped around Nanako’s wrist. She pulled Nanako forward, gripping onto her arm with both hands. Before Nanako could ask what was going on she felt a sudden rush of pain flowing through her arm. The pain ran from the center of her chest and pulled through her arm, as if Margaret were pulling something out of Nanako.

“I only have enough power for one. You’ll have to find the rest on your own. Find the Compendium. Yu should have it.”

“W-what are you talking about?” Nanako stammered, her lips quivering from the pain.

“There’s no time left. Find the Compendium. Build up your bonds, for your bonds will grant you more power. We will meet again, Nanako! Good luck!”

Margaret released Nanako, and suddenly Nanako felt like she was rising up ward, falling towards the sky.

=====

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The Fool: Margaret

Level 1

  



	28. 4/12 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persona.

Nanako’s eyes cleared. The pain in her stomach was back, throbbing. The knights were still huddled over her.

“Hurry up, King Kamoshida doesn’t want to be kept waiting,” the knight grumbled.

“Let’s just strip her, it’ll be faster,” the second knight said.

Nanako heard something - a cry of pain or confusion, followed by…wind? An explosion? She couldn’t tell, but there was a lot of noise coming from the direction of the cell Ren and the boy had been shoved into.

“What was that?” one knight asked.

“I don’t know. Let’s kill this one and go help.”

A knight reached down and scooped Nanako up by the neck. She gasped and grabbed at his wrist, but his armored arm was too thick and powerful for her to do anything about it. The knight pinned her against the wall then held up his sword.

He was going to kill her.

No. This couldn’t be. This couldn’t be the ending she chose. Why all that about the cards if she was going to just come back here and die?

Is that what Margaret meant by being a fool?

The pain in her arm. What was that about?

She looked down at her arm and felt an odd burning sensation in her palm.

Nanako’s eyes widened. Blue flame floated in her palm, and the card was back - the card with the strange dancing fool and his little dog. It rotated in mid-air, beckoning her.

“Per…” she whispered.

The knight took aim with the tip of his sword.

“So…”

“Kill her already, hurry up!” the other knight said.

“Na!”

Nanako squeezed the card.

The world exploded in blue flame. The knight immediately let her go as the force of the mystical blue fire enveloped her from head to toe and filled half of the cell. She could feel something looming behind her, a tall presence that wasn’t there a moment ago. It stepped forward out of the flame.

It was the razor blade man - the warrior with the mask and long coat and the naginata. The spirit that big bro had called for in her dream.

Izanagi.

She didn’t know how, but she understood it fully. She understood its abilities, its strength, everything it could do flowed into her mind as if it were a common fact - something she had known her entire life.

“W-what the hell is that?!” the knight called out as the blue fire died down.

“Get it!” the second knight yelled, rushing forward.

“Strike it down!” Nanako ordered, holding her hand in front of her. She realized even as she spoke that the words weren’t necessary - Izanagi was connected to her mind. She need only think about what had to be done, and it would happen. Izanagi rushed ahead of her and made two rapid strokes with his weapon: the first to knock the knight’s sword aside, the second to separate his head from his neck.

The knight melted into black goo.

“Damnit!” the second knight called out, reaching up to its mask. It pulled it off, and the shell of the knight melted away, revealing instead a floating jack o’ lantern wearing a witches hat and holding a lantern. 

Nanako frowned. What a weird thing to happen. The knight seemed scarier than this halloween decoration.

The Jack o Lantern held up his lantern and a blast of fire erupted from it. Izanagi swooped forward to absorb the blast. Nanako felt pain - not exactly the burning pain of fire, but a mental pain that shook her concentration. It was difficult to explain, but she quickly surmised that Izanagi could take a lot more damage than her physical body could, but it wasn’t invincible.

A word danced at the back of her mind. It prickled at her tongue, until its meaning took shape in her mind. It was a strange word, one that she had never heard before.

“Izanagi, _zio!_ ”

The black-coated warrior lit up with the jagged arcs of electricity. With a flourish of his arm, Izanagi released a blast of lightning directly at the Jack o Lantern’s face. The blast exploded, and the being melted into a puddle of goop which in turn dissolved into the ground.

Nanako took a moment to catch her breath.

A million questions formed at once. Izanagi was _real_. Did that mean her dream was real? Or was Izanagi a result of her dream - the shape that the power Margaret gave her took because it was buried in her subconscious? Did big bro once use Izanagi? Had he been to this castle before? Where were they, exactly?

She shook her head. She could think about this later. Right now, she had to get out of here. Maybe Izanagi could bend the bars and-

She looked around. Izanagi was gone!

“No no no no, come back!” Nanako cried out. She then felt heat around her right hand again. She held it out and saw the card again, floating in a gentle rotation above her palm.

Hm. Strange. It seemed that when she let her concentration falter that Izanagi vanished. Or transformed back into the card. Either way, it seemed she could call him back.

“Izanagi!” she called, crushing the card. The card burst into blue fire and light, and her protector appeared above her again. She thought about the bars, and Izanagi rushed forward in response. He pulled at the bars until the whole door came exploded inward. He tossed the cell door to the side, then vanished.

Nanako ran forward.

Then skid to a stop. Someone was rushing by, running in a panic, and it nearly knocked her over. There was the flourish of a cape and a golden shine of a…crown?

Was that Kamoshida-sensei?

…Where were his pants?

“Nanako!”

She turned around. Ren stood at the entrance to his cell.

“W-what are you wearing?” Nanako asked.

Ren was dressed in a….well, the best way to put it would be “costume.” He had new black pants, a metallic-accented waistcoat, a long black coat with tails, red gloves and a white mask. His posture was different, too - like he was back in Inaba when they were back in the school. Poised, graceful, ready to move.

It was a little ridiculous. And also a little hot, if Nanako were being honest.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know what’s happening, but we need to get out of here. Are you all right?”

“Yes. Where’s the other guy? The vulgar boy?”

“Vulgar boy?” a second voice called. “The hell kind of name is that? I’m Sakamoto Ryuji.”

“Dojima Nanako,” she replied. She noticed that Ren was staring over at her cell door.

“How’d you get out?” he asked.

“Uh. Well, it’s hard to explain.”

“Then explain it later, let’s get outta here!” Sakamoto said. Ren nodded in agreement and started down the dungeon. It looked like they were in the depths of the castle.

The three of them stopped dead in their tracks when they heard a scream of pain.

“Did you hear that?” Sakamoto asked.

“Let’s check it out,” Ren said.

They ran.


	29. 4/12 - Morning - Castle of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgana.

Ren led the way. As he ran, blue fire swirled around his body, and his clothes transformed back to his school uniform.

“H-hey! Your clothes!” Nanako called out. Ren skid to a stop and looked down at himself.

“What’s going on?” Sakamoto asked.

“I don’t know. But there’s no time. We should get out of here,” Ren said. They pressed on.

They pushed open one heavy door after another, getting more and more lost in the labyrinthine castle. Nanako started to map it all out in her head, and she started to see the patterns in it.

“We need to head up,” Nanako said. “I think the way out is over there.”

She pointed across rushing water in the center of the dungeon. There was a drawbridge, but it was folded upward.

“How do we get it down?” Sakamoto asked.

“I dunno. But we gotta try.”

“Hey, you!” called out a small voice. They all turned.

“Over here! Let me out!”

It was a cat. Sort of. It reminded Nanako more of a pirate mascot that belonged in a kid’s cartoon - that sort of innocent villain that couldn’t really hurt you, but was just menacing enough for a child to believe that it was the “bad guy.”

“You guys aren’t soldiers of this castle, right? You have to let me out.”

“No way you freaky monster cat. You’re obviously an enemy!” Sakamoto said.

The cat glared.

“I am _not a cat!_ And if I were an enemy, would they lock me up in here?”

“Where’s your zipper?” Nanako asked.

The cat pirate looked up at her, confused.

“What?”

“Your zipper,” she repeated. “You’re awful short, maybe you’re a kid? But it’s a great costume. I have a friend who has a great costume like that, but his zipper is very visible. If you take off your costume, then it’ll prove that you’re a person.”

“W-ha…b-but…” the cat pirate stammered. “This is _not a costume!_ I have been transformed against my will! I am a human!”

Ren stepped forward, withdrawing his hands from his pockets. Nanako saw the glint from his lockpicks in his hand, and he started working on the cell.

“For real?! You’re gonna let him out?” Sakamoto said.

“You can help us out of here, right?” Ren asked the cat pirate.

“Ah, a negotiator. Yes, that’s a fair trade. But you amateurs are going to have to listen closely to everything I say. One mistake could mean death.”

There was a loud metallic clunk, then screech of hinges as the cell door swung open.

“Ah, the sweet taste of freedom! My name’s Morgana, by the way. Follow me.”

Morgana took the lead and went to a macabre statue of Kamoshida, pulling at the hidden lever that would deploy the drawbridge. Nanako watched Morgana, staring intently at his back.

Seriously, there had to be a zipper _somewhere_. He looked too much like Teddie for there to be any other explanation.

Nanako fell forward onto her knees, gripping at her head. Her vision blurred, replaced by the dream. Except she was awake.

_“Nana-chan! We’ll save you!”dream Teddie called. “Bear-sona!”_

“Yo, Dojima!” Sakamoto called.

“Nanako, are you all right?” Ren said, his hand on her shoulder. Nanako blinked, and the memory was gone.

“Y-yes, sorry.”

“You there!” called out a knight. They all turned to see two of them approaching from the drawbridge. There was a swirl of blue flame, and Ren was again transformed.

“Oh crap! Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap!” Sakamoto yelled in a panic, falling on his butt and scrambling backward.

“You there,” Morgana said, pointing at Ren. “You can fight, right? Follow my lead.”

Out of nowhere, Morgana produced a cutlass. Somehow, this didn’t surprise Nanako.

The knights pulled their masks off, producing two more jack o lanterns. Nanako held out her hand and summoned the card. Whatever Ren and Morgana though they were going to do, it was too dangerous for them to fight them without -

“Persona!” Morgana called. Rising out of more blue fire and light came a burly masked figure wielding a rapier. “Come, Zorro!”

Zorro spun his rapier tip in a tight circle, creating a tornado made of green energy. He thrust his rapier at the first jack. The wind crashed into it, spinning it out of control and slamming it into the ground. The jack o lantern dissolved.

“Arsene!” Ren called out. He reached to his face and pulled the mask off his face. The mask vanished, then he was coated in more blue fire. Ghostly chains also rose from the ground at Ren’s feet, tied to the Persona behind him.

It was terrifying.

The armor of the Persona was blood red and stylized from Victorian England, complete with a waistcoat that matched Ren’s and a laced cravat. It had a top hat, a void of a face, fiery scars that outlined his mouth and eyes, and black angel wings.

Or maybe they were demons wings.

Ren held his hand by his face, one eye peeking between his fingers, his maniacal smile just underneath his palm.

“Eiha!” he called out.

Black-streaked red energy lashed out from Arsene and penetrated into the jack o lantern. Something inside the jack o lantern died, and it shriveled and dissolved.

“Oh my God, what the eff! For real!?” Sakamoto cried. Nanako spun around and watched as a third knight transformed into a floating devil-like creature with a…protrusion…a modified codpiece…a sharpened phallus…

There was a thing on his ding-a-ling.

“Gross!” Nanako yelled. She rushed over towards Sakamoto, summoning the card in her palm and squeezing it shut.

“Izanagi! Cut it down!”

Izanagi burst between Sakamoto and the attacking devil. It made one decisive horizontal slash, which opened up an inky wound in the devil. It died.

“Huh, you have a Persona too?” Morgana said. Nanako scanned the area, but didn’t see any more attacking knights. Izanagi faded away, as did Zorro and Arsene. Fire swirled around Ren again, and he was once again in his school uniform.

“Persona?” Sakamoto asked. “Is that those weird ghosts that come out of you?”

“Obviously,” Morgana said. “They’re the only way to fight Shadows.”

The word rung familiar in Nanako’s head, though she didn’t know why. The dizziness of a memory threatened to take her again, so she shoved the thought aside and tried to focus on the now.

“The knights are shadows, right?” Nanako asked. Morgana grinned.

“Well, it looks like not all of you are useless. Yes, the knights are shadows. They live here in the palace and are part of this guy’s subconscious. There’s no time to explain, just know that they’re gonna try and kill us, so try to not make a lot of noise.”

“Can’t we just fight our way out?” Ren asked.

“You don’t have your power under control,” Morgana said. “Your clothes shouldn’t be changing back. And your clothes didn’t even change at all!”

“Are they supposed to?” Nanako asked.

“Obviously! But we don’t have time for this. Come on, let’s go.”

Morgana led the way again. Nanako did her best to try and memorize the route they were taking, just in case. It was also a very helpful way for her to keep her mind off of the memories threatening to intrude in on her.

Because…that’s what they were, right? Memories. Not a dream. Not figments of her imagination. Memories.

But memories of what?

What happened to her?

“Whoah, wait up!” Sakamoto said, skidding to a stop. They stopped beside a cell, where another teenager wearing the Shujin PE uniform was huddled in a ball.

“Come on, leave it,” Morgana said.

“No way, we can’t leave him here!” Sakamoto cried. Ren was at the lock in a flash.

“He’s not real! We don’t have time for this, if we stay here any longer we’re gonna be-”

“Over there!” A knight called out before he transformed into a horse with a pair of twisted horns.

“Persona!” Nanako yelled. “Electrify him, Izanagi!”

Lightning clawed its way down the hallway. It swarmed the beast and destroyed it.

“See what I mean?” Morgana snapped. “That person isn’t real, it’s a cognition. If we stay longer, the Shadows are going to swarm us and we’ll never get out of here.”

Nanako held her head as Izanagi vanished. She was starting to feel dizzy, as if her spirit was running out of energy.

“Ren…he’s right. We need to go. I can’t fight much more,” Nanako said.

“But…” Sakamoto said. Ren stopped the lockpick.

“If the cat’s right, then nobody is in danger. If he’s wrong, we’ll come back and get him, when we’re ready,” Ren said.

“I am _not a cat._ ”

Sakamoto grit his teeth.

“Fine.”

They had to battle five more shadows before they got to the end. They climbed through a vent, out through the outer wall, and were back in front of the castle. Nanako was exhausted from summoning Izanagi so many times. Ren was trying to hide it, but he seemed worn out from using Arsene, too.

“This is where we go our separate ways,” Morgana said. “I still have something I need to do here.”

“Suit yourself,” Sakamoto said. Nanako knelt beside Morgana.

“Thanks for your help, Morgana. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

Morgana looked pleased with himself. “Well. It’s up to a veteran to take care of the rookies. Maybe we’ll cross paths again.”

With that, Morgana jumped back up the window and into the castle.

And then the world began to bend.


	30. 4/12 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako returns to reality.

“Welcome back to reality,” said a computerized voice from Ren’s phone.

Nanako gasped. The air was still heavy and humid from the rain, but it still felt a million pounds lighter than the oppressive atmosphere they had just left. She bent over, gripping her knees, trying to find her center again.

“What the hell was that…” Sakamoto muttered. “What was that place? And where did it go?”

“I don’t know…but I can’t…” Ren said, holding his hand to his face. Nanako realized he was trying to reach for the mask that had been appearing in that world. Still bent over, she turned her palm over and tried to summon the card.

Nothing happened. And yet, she wasn’t surprised by that.

“Hey, you kids!” called out a woman’s voice.

“Ah crap, the cops,” Sakamoto said.

“You’re Shujin students, aren’t you? Why aren’t you in school?” the police woman yelled some more.

Oh. Crap.

Nanako leaned over and grabbed Ren’s hand.

“We have to go! Now! We can’t get caught!” Nanako hissed.

Ren looked confused, then hesitated. Then his face flashed to that same cunning thief that she’d seen back in Inaba. The same look he had in the palace.

“Oh my God!” Ren said with a bit too much melodrama. “Look at that!”

“Look at what?” the police woman said, spinning around. Now was the time. Nanako grabbed Ren and Sakamoto’s hands and started running forward. Sakamoto yelped, but picked up the plan quick. Soon she released them, and they charged down the street.

“Hey! You better be running to school! And you better not be doing any drugs or anything!”

Eventually, they stopped running.

Sakamoto took the lead to school, but the three of them were on edge. Nanako knew they were all thinking the same thing - were they going to walk right back into that castle?

Apparently not.

The school stood there, as it always had.

“This is hurting my head,” Sakamoto said. “There was a castle here, right? And we took the exact same route here.”

“Maybe we should focus on getting into school,” Nanako said. “We’re really late.”

“Ah, yeah, true.” Sakamoto started forward. Nanako was just about to follow too when Ren’s hand closed around her wrist.

“Hold on,” he said. “You never answered my question.”

“What question?”

“Did you follow me here?”

After everything that happened, Nanako found the question pretty absurd. A magic castle, summoning spirits, repressed memories fighting to take over her headspace, a talking cat…after all that, the idea of being embarrassed about what she did was trivial.

“Yes. I did.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Because of what you said,” Nanako said. “That I saw you for who you were, and that you were going to be alone. I didn’t like that, so I decided to do something about it. So I moved here. I should’ve told you, I know, I’m sorry.”

“That was stupid,” he said. Nanako flinched at the words, feeling pain strike her in the chest.

“It wasn’t,” she insisted.

“It was. You left a great life behind in Inaba. You should go back to it.”

“It wasn’t that great,” she said.

“It’s better than what’s waiting for you here,” he said, frustrated. “I can’t control what you do. So if you want to stay at Shujin, stay. But stay away from me. They already know about the probation. I’m going to be an outcast the minute I walk through those doors. Do yourself a favor and keep as far away from me as possible. I promise I won’t let people know that we come from the same town.”

“This isn’t why I did this,” Nanako said. “I came here to be your friend.”

“And I appreciate that, more than you’ll ever know. Stay away.”

He turned with a flourish and followed Sakamoto towards the stairs.

=====

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The Lovers: Ren Amamiya 

Level 1


	31. 4/12 - Morning - Shibuya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chase.

It’d been an hour since those kids ran off, but the police woman was still annoyed.

How could she have fallen for such an obvious trick? _Look over there_. How much more pathetic could she get?

There was a screech of tires and a crash. At he entrance to the Central Street shopping, a man had skid his moped to a stop and abandoned it. The pursuing police car couldn’t slow down fast enough and crashed into the metal barriers. Glass shattered and the front right wheel bent horribly out of shape.

The police woman ran across the street and past the squad car.

“Hey! Freeze!” she called out after the man on the moped. The man, who had stopped to watch the police car crash, widened his eyes, turn and ran.

She grabbed her radio.

“This is Satonaka, I’m in pursuit over at Central Street! Suspect is on foot wearing a brown jacket and carrying a black backpack!”

Chie let go of the radio microphone attached to her vest and focused on running. Dispatch was squawking something back at her, but she couldn’t hear it. It wouldn’t matter, back up would get here too late.

“Stop! Police!” she called again. The suspect wasn’t going to stop, she knew that, but at least it warned people that they were coming through. The crowd was startled, but started to clear a path for her. The suspect darted in and out, frantically looking over his shoulder. He shoved one man towards Chie. She could have side-stepped him, but the man was losing his balance, so she leaned forward and caught him.

Once she righted his balance, she looked up. The suspect darted down an alleyway. She ran after him, turning left, and was confronted immediately with a sharp right turn. She took that turn, running past a model gun shop.

The suspect grabbed a bunch of bikes parked nearby and threw them towards the ground, hoping to slow Chie down before he took off to the right. Chie just ran faster and cleared the bikes in a single leap.

The suspect had turned right and was now running down the street back in the same way they had just come. By this time, most people had moved to the side of the street, talking about what had just happened in an excited chatter. When the suspect started running through again, dozens of phones came out of pockets to start filming.

Chie blocked it all out. No distractions. Just catch the bad guy.

The man ran across the street heading for the station square just as a group of pedestrians were rushing around the crashed squad car to help the officers inside. Chie picked up more speed.

She jumped.

She landed on top of the squad car.

She jumped again, clearing the crowd of pedestrians beneath her.

She landed and kept up her relentless pursuit, gaining on the suspect. He began to run faster, but more erratically, panic growing in his body. This is where she had to be careful - a desperate criminal could do anything. The last thing she wanted was for him to grab a hostage in the station.

She had to finish this, now.

The suspect ran into the station and aimed himself for the stairs for the underground station. He practically fell down the stairs, taking them four at a time and needing to grab the railing near the bottom.

Chie pulled her handcuffs off her belt and clasped one loop over her left wrist.

She could probably get down the stairs just as quickly as the suspect had, but that would give him too much time to take a hostage or get on a train. So instead, she looked at the escalator.

Or more accurately, the panel between the escalator, made of stainless steel paneling and sloped like a children’s playground slide.

She vaulted over the railing and landed on her butt, sliding down. As she reached the end, she pushed up onto her feet and used the momentum from the slide to propel hersel forward. She tackled headlong towards the suspect, crashing her shoulders into his knees.

He fell forward, hard.

Before he could do anything else, Chie clasped the other end of the handcuffs around his ankle.

“Yes!” Chie cried, pumping her other hand into the air victoriously. Everyone in the station turned to look at her. Realizing that doing a victory fist pump wasn’t the most professional thing, she sheepishly lowered it and reached over for her radio.

“This is Officer Satonaka, suspect secured, send back up to the lower station stairwell.” 


	32. 4/12 - Lunchtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamoshida talks to Nanako.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, THANKS SO MUCH for all your comments. I read them all and they seriously give me life. I love all your theories and reactions and I promise I'll start responding to them soon, I've just been really busy. Thank you all for reading!

The rest of Nanako’s morning had been a blur.

She had been scolded for being so late on the first day, though thankfully her new homeroom teacher, Kawakami-sensei, made up the excuse that she and Ren hadn’t been feeling well on the first day and conveyed that to the class. Apparently she was more interested in avoiding trouble than shaming them in front of the class. She had been relived.

At first.

But the moment Ren was introduced, everything changed.

“Is he the guy?”

“He doesn’t look like a criminal.”

“I don’t know, look at those eyes.”

“Do you think that girl is his girlfriend?”

“Maybe they’re both criminals together.”

“I heard that he beat a guy up so badly he almost died.”

“No way. I heard that if he doesn’t like the food of a restaurant, he leaves without paying.”

“Quiet down everyone,” Kawakami snapped. The class obeyed and Ren and Nanako went to take their seats in the back corner. Ren sat behind the gorgeous blonde from this morning, and Nanako sat behind him.

How did they know?

Ren’s criminal record should have been sealed and confidential. Sure, maybe Kawakami-sensei would be told about it, but shouldn’t have been made public knowledge.

Unless someone leaked it, intentionally.

But who would do that? And why?

The question weighed on Nanako the rest of that morning, all the way until lunch time. She thought she might strike up a conversation or two with the other class members and see if she can find some information, but Kamoshida-sensei slid the door open.

“Dojima-san, can I talk to you for a moment?” he called out. Nanako was surprised, but complied, rising up to meet him at the door.

She ignored the whispers that followed her.

They went to the PE office, where she was offered a seat. Kamoshida leaned against his desk.

“I’m concerned about you, Nanako-chan,” he said. “You were very late today.”

“I’m sorry, sensei. I got lost. It was my first time coming by myself, so…”

“I understand. Mistakes happen, but don’t worry, I’ve already cleared it up with Kawakami-sensei and the principal. Nobody is calling your home.”

“Oh. Thank you,” Nanako said. She hadn’t even considered that they’d call Yu over this, but she supposed it made sense. She wondered how he would’ve reacted if they had.

“The thing I’m most concerned about are the two boys you came to school with,” Kamoshida said. “I know you’re new, but Sakamoto is not the kind of boy you want to be around, trust me. Did you know that he tried to assault me last year?”

“Really?” Nanako said.

“Yes. He has a terrible temper, probably brought about by his bad upbringing. His family is not the good sort, Nanako-chan.”

Kamoshida pulled up a chair and sat down close to Nanako. Maybe a little too close.

Then he leaned forward and set a hand on her knee.

Now he was definitely too close.

“And that other kid, Amamiya. I shouldn’t be telling you this, I could get in a lot of trouble, but I care too much about you as a person to not warn you. He has a criminal record for assault,” he said.

It took all of Nanako’s willpower to keep her face unreadable. She looked down, feigning being frightened, but really she couldn’t bear to look at him in the face.

It was him. He was the one spreading the information about Ren. She didn’t hae the proof, but she knew it in her gut.

“Hey, don’t be frightened,” he said. He took his hand off her knee and used it to touch her chin, raising her head up to meet his gaze. “We’re going to keep an eye on them, okay? But you best stay away from them outside of school.”

Kamoshida pulled his hand away from her face and went to adjust his hair. When he did, the whole world shifted.

Suddenly, they were in a throne room, covered in rich red velvets and shining gold.

And Kamoshida was back. The one she saw in the strange castle, the one wearing the crown and cloak and…well, not much else. A pink speedo.

He spoke, but with a strange echoing voice. His eyes were now yellow and glowed from some inner light.

“And when I get rid of them, I’ll add you to my harem.”

“What?” Nanako said.

The world reverted back to reality, and Kamoshida frowned, confused.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Oh…sorry. I’m very tired. Thank you for the warning, Kamoshida-sensei. I promise I’ll be careful.”

“Good. I hope you’ve reconsidered joining the volleyball team. Having a group of friends to support you will keep you away bad elements like Sakamoto and Amamiya.”

“I’m still thinking about it,” Nanako said, standing up. “Thanks again, sensei.”

“Have a good rest of your day, Nanako-chan.”

She turned and walked towards the door. As she swung it open, she could catch Kamoshida’s reflection in the window.

He was licking his lips.


	33. 4/12 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako goes to the roof.

“Hey,” Sakamoto said.

Nanako jumped, startled. He grinned.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya,” he said. “But uh…meet me on the roof, okay? We gotta talk about some stuff.”

Nanako glanced over to Ren. He had been intercepted by their teacher on his way out of the classroom, and Nanako was waiting to spring her own trap on him. Yes, sure, she wanted to talk to Sakamoto about what they’d seen, but she really needed to talk to Ren, too.

“Don’t worry about that guy, I’ll grab him too,” he said. Nanako nodded.

“Okay. See you up there.”

She found the stairs and headed up. This time there were whispers and glances her way, but at least it was free from the ridiculous stage-whispering they had to endure earlier that day.

The door squeaked when she pushed it open. The clean sunlight and fresh air felt good after being inside all afternoon. Of course, it was _Tokyo_ clean, which was just a few shades dirtier than the light and air in Inaba.

She took a deep breath. It didn’t smell the same here. It wasn’t a bad smell, but it wasn’t the smell of home.

She longed for it, all of a sudden.

Nanako decided to be thorough and check the perimeter of the rooftop space. Unlike the rooftop at Yasogami, Shujin’s rooftop seemed to be relegated to being a junk storage area. There were tables and chairs and what looked to be leftover decorations from one of the school festival tucked in the side.

Also there was a raised flower bed…?

Nanako knelt beside it. Strange, this didn’t seem to be randomly discarded. In fact, it looked pretty new. She scanned through the little markers stuck into the soil. They said “Moonlight Carrot” and “Star Dragon Onion.”

Huh. She’d never heard of those before, but Nanako was hardly an expert. Still, they had a tiny little garden back home. Actually, she and Yu had started it just as he had moved in. Nanako had kept it up over the years to provide some fresh produce for home. It was also a good stress reducer.

Nanako then noticed that there was a second flower bed. Beside it were several seedlings, waiting to be transferred. But the seedlings looked like they’d been out for a couple of days, and were starting to wilt.

Hm. That wouldn’t do. She looked around until she located a spade, then set to work on the transfer.

By the time she heard the door squeak open, she was finished.

“Nanako,” Ren called. His face shifts through a bunch of emotions: irritated, worried, confused, amused. “Are you…gardening?”

“Ah, well, someone just didn’t finish, I thought I’d help out,” Nanako said. She dusted off her arms and set the spade back where she found it. Sakamoto came through a moment later.

“Good, you’re both here…we have some shit to figure out,” Sakomoto said. He pulled out one of the discarded chairs and set it by a desk. Nanako did the same, but Ren preferred to stand and lean and be generally aloof.

“So, you got a criminal record, eh?” Sakamoto began.

“How did you find out?” Nanako demanded. Sakamoto raised his hands in surrender.

“Everyone’s talking about it. But I can tell you who leaked it for sure - Kamoshida.”

“What makes you say that?” Ren asked.

“We’re in the same boat, you and I,” he said. “Though I don’t know what he has against you. You meet him somewhere before or something?”

“Not until today,” Ren said.

“He looked so freaky in that castle,” Sakamoto said.

“Freaky…how?” Nanako asked.

“Oh, right, you weren’t there. I guess we better fill you in.”

Nanako listened to Sakamoto tell the story. Ren added a few details, but was mostly silent. Nanako told her side of the story too - well, most of it. She kept the exact nature of how she gained Izanagi to herself, as well as what happened with Margaret.

She wasn’t sure _why_ she did it. It was an instinct.

“This is crazy,” Sakamoto said. “I mean, we all remember it…but was it real? Did we have some sort of…I dunno, shared hallucination? Maybe we breathed some fumes or something.”

“No. It’s real,” Nanako said with a strange finality. It caught both Ren and Sakamoto off guard. “I’ve…been somewhere like it before. I think.”

“What is it?” Ren asked.

“I don’t know. I was a kid when it happened. But I keep having these flashbacks…I thought they were just dreams, but maybe they’re actually memories that I’ve forgotten.”

“That’s what happened to you in the castle,” Ren said.

“Yes. I’m sorry, we almost got killed because of it.”

“It’s fine, we handled it,” Ren said. Sakamoto nodded.

“You guys don’t know this, but there are rumors about Kamoshida and what he does to the volleyball team. Abuse. Sexual stuff with the girls. And he gets away with all of it because he’s a former Olympian who takes the school team to nationals every year.”

Sakamoto’s voice grew more and more bitter.

“You have a history?” Ren said.

“Yeah, you could say that,” he said. Nanako thought back to what Kamoshida said. And did. And how he behaved.

“He’s trying to get me to join the volleyball team,” Nanako said. “And…now that you mention it, he’s been a little aggressive about it. Maybe not directly, but he definitely wants me to join, and I’m not very good. Also the other volleyball players are really mean. I could see that maybe there was some abuse going on…maybe…but…”

“But not enough for people to believe it,” Sakamoto said.

“Right. And not enough for police evidence,” Nanako added. Sakamoto glanced at Ren, confused.

“Her dad’s a cop,” Ren said.

“Ah. So you two do know each other.”

“We’re from the same town,” Nanako said. “Just…happened to move at the same time.”

“I want to figure out what that place is,” Sakamoto said. “You guys are in, right?”

“I am,” Nanako said.

“Have fun,” Ren said.

“Oh come on, you can’t be like that,” Sakamoto said. “You’re curious too, I know it. Besides, you’re the one that transformed and summoned the demon. I probably can’t do it without you.”

Ren shrugged and adjusted his glasses.

“That’s his way of agreeing,” Nanako said.

“All right! We’ll start figuring this out tomorrow. Don’t ignore me, okay? And by the way, you can call me Ryuji.”

Ryuji hopped out of his seat and walked back to the door and the stairs. Nanako got up too, and she and Ren walked to the front gate together.

“You’ve really been there before?” Ren asked in a low voice.

“Not that castle. But something like it. I’ll try and remember more.”

“…Do you know an Igor?” Ren asked. Nanako frowned.

“No. Is that someone from Inaba?”

Ren shook his head and waved it off. “Nevermind.”


	34. 4/12 - Evening - Police Station

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chie talks to her boss.

“What the hell am I going to do with you, Satonaka?”

“Huh?” Chie said.

She stood in front of the chief’s desk at attention, having been called in at the end of her shift. She had spent part of the afternoon processing her suspect, filling out the reports, then finishing her foot patrol in the Shibuya area. When she had gotten the message to see the chief, she _thought_ it was going to be a congratulations.

The chief is a grumbly man in his 40s with hair that’s too black from his hair dye and glasses that he’s constantly putting on and taking off his face.

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean, sir,” Chie pushed forward.

“You ignored officers that needed help, you engaged in a foot pursuit without back up, you ignored dispatch’s instructions, then you performed a highly risky take down maneuver using non-approved techniques,” The chief said, setting his glasses on the desk and rubbing his face. “The guy lost a tooth, Satonaka. He’s talking about suing.”

“With all due respect, sir, he was getting away,” Chie said.

“He stole three boxes of Neo Featherman cards, Satonaka. He didn’t rob a bank.”

“But the other officers-”

“The other officers are in trouble too. Smashing a squad card over some dumb kids game…I swear, it’s like the whole department is trying to turn their lives into an action movie.”

“So you wanted me to let him go?” Chie asked, her voice bordering on accusatory.

“I wanted you to follow orders. Dispatch said to go help the officers, and you didn’t. They’re both okay, but what if that car had caught fire? What if you had crashed into someone while you were in pursuit? The news would’ve had a field day with that - ‘officer causes old woman to break her hip while in pursuit of card thief!’”

He put his glasses back on.

“You’re a truancy officer, Satonaka. Not Jackie Chan. You’re assigned to find kids and send them back to school.”

“I don’t want to be a truancy officer, chief,” she said. “Don’t you see that I’m capable of a lot more?”

“You’re capable of giving me a lot of headaches, Satonaka. But fine, if you don’t want to be a truancy officer anymore, I can arrange that. You’ll get a new assignment in the morning. Maybe.”

Chie felt her stomach drop.

“Dismissed, Satonaka.”

The moment the door to her apartment shut behind her, Chie dialed.

“I’m getting fired,” she said when the line connected.

“You are not,” Yukiko said.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I am this time.”

“What happened?”

Chie told Yukiko.

“That sounds pretty amazing,” Yukiko said.

“I know, right? It was one of the best take downs I’ve ever done! And he didn’t appreciate it at all. I don’t know, Yukiko, I think I’m going to give up.”

“You can’t give up. You’re Chie. You don’t give up.”

“It’s just…not what I was hoping it would be,” Chie said. The microwave beeped and she pulled open the top of the instant meal. The steak looked gray and the rice was mealy and even though it was supposed to be teriyaki sauce the only flavor Chie could ever describe it as was “brown.”

“Maybe I should just go back to Inaba. Dojima said they’d hire me. At least back home they’ll take me seriously.”

“I wouldn’t hate it if you came back,” Yukiko admitted. “I miss you. The kids miss you. But I think you shouldn’t do it quite yet. I know you, Chie, if you give up on this now, you’re never going to forgive yourself for it. You’ve only been in Tokyo three years. I know you were expecting some sort of meteoric rise, but things take time.”

“Don’t meteors fall?”

“Seriously, Chie. Your chief isn’t the only ranking officer in the department. Someday, someone is going to take notice of what you can offer, and then you’ll get your chance. If you come home now, you’ll always wonder.”

Chie took a bite of the steak. Rubbery.

“You’re right, as usual. It was just…a hard day.”

“I know. Maybe you should go visit Nanako and Yu on your day off, I’m sure Nanako would be thrilled to see you.”

“Oh, that’s right! I forgot she was here! Has it been a month already? Geez.”

Chie chewed and thought.

“…Hey, is Nanako still wearing her hair in twin tails?”

“She was last time I saw her.”

“And she goes to Shujin, right?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Chie narrowed her eyes.

“Well played, Nanako-chan…well played…”


	35. 4/12 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako talks to Yu.

Nanako walked through the front door of Yu’s home.

Well, her home now.

She kicked off her shoes.

She dropped her bag on the ground.

She flopped onto the bed.

She fell asleep.

When she finally woke up, it was 8:30. She felt tangled in her school uniform, especially since she hadn’t even unbuttoned her coat. She quickly changed out of the uniform and into a pink tank top and gray leggings. She even untied her hair and let it fall down her back - she didn’t want a single thing constricted on her body.

She walked out into the dining room to see big bro was setting out take out food onto the table.

“We won’t eat take out every day, I promise,” he said with a smile. “But I was held up at the newspaper and you weren’t answering my texts, so I figured you had a long day too.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Nanako said.

“Let’s eat. Tell me about it.”

A billion thoughts burst in Nanako’s heart and mind all at once. She was scared of getting answers to questions that had been plaguing her all day - what was the castle, what were Personas, how did he know Margaret?

No. These questions had been chasing her longer than that. She had always wondered what had really happened to her as a kid. Not knowing the exact truth had left a strange gap in who she was. It had been there so long that she’d gotten used to it. She was also scared to admit that Kamoshida might have something to hide, and that somehow that world was connected to his possible abusive nature.

But she wasn’t just scared. She was excited. Excited to share Izanagi with him. Excited to talk about all the adventures he went on, about what that world was and what she was supposed to do in it.

She stuffed food in her face, ravenous from the adventures of the day. Her mind raced, uncertain on how to start the conversation. All the thoughts pushed against each other in a mad struggle to be spoken first.

“What happened to me when I was kidnapped?” she blurted out. Okay, that was a weird way to approach this, but whatever.

Yu dropped his chopsticks.

“What?”

“When I was a kid, and I was kidnapped. What exactly happened to me? The whole truth.”

“Why are you asking about that?” Yu snapped. Nanako was surprised and noticed that Yu looked angry with a little bit of panic mixed in. She had better explain quickly.

“See, I’ve been having these dreams and-”

“We went through hell to save you,” Yu said, cutting her off. His eyes were shut and he breathed slowly. “Your dad and I…it was the worst time of our lives. We did everything we could to keep you protected from it. You don’t need to know all the details, Nanako. I wish I didn’t know them.”

“But…big bro…I really need to…”

“No, Nanako! We are not talking about this!”

 _Pi pi pi_.

It was Yu’s phone. He grabbed it.

“Hello?…Really? Now?…Right. I’m on my way.”

He ended the call.

“I’m sorry. I need to go.”

“R-right,” Nanako said.

He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. He scooped up his belongings and rushed out the front door.

Nanako couldn’t believe it.

All the fear and excitement that had been swirling inside her was now buried in a mountain of sludgy sadness.

Why had he yelled?

Why didn’t he trust her to know the truth?

How was she going to navigate all of this without him?

Would he listen if she told him the truth? Or would he try and take control, push it all away, and send her home? Would he tell her dad to drag her back to Inaba and leave Ren alone to deal with whatever was going on?

She wasn’t sure how to answer any of those things.

For the first time ever, she wasn’t sure she understood her big bro.

She finished her meal. She ate steadily and quickly, because she was afraid if she stopped, she’d start to cry.

=====

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	36. 4/12 - Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako watches TV.

Nanako loved TV.

TV never let you down. TV never hid secrets from you. TV never made you feel unappreciated even though you turned your entire life upside down to help it.

TV was there for Nanako. It only cared that Nanako could laugh, or cry, or feel suspense, or get information, or just feel nothing at all. The only thing TV asked for in return is to watch a few commercials.

And time.

Right now Nanako had lots of extra time and way too many feelings. So she paid TV with her time and in return, it numbed her.

She wondered how many hours of TV she’d watched in her life.

“Everyday’s great at your Junes…” she sung along to the theme song playing on the TV.

It was 11:34 PM.

Falling asleep when she got home had turned out to be a mistake. After she had eaten, she had done a little bit of organizing of her homework, bathed (because she couldn’t help but wonder if the castle had infected her with something), and then tried to go to bed. She managed to fall int a light, restless sleep for an hour and a half before she decided that she just wasn’t going to be sleeping anytime soon.

And so, TV.

Oddly enough, she liked TV more than she liked her phone. The phone demanded too much. Tap here. Scroll here. Pick the next video. Answer the next message. Do you like this picture? Do you want to comment on it?

No, phones were needy. TV gave, and gave freely.

11:35.

Yu still wasn’t home.

She stood up and walked to the other end of the apartment. She stood at the end of the little hallway, between the two doors she wasn’t supposed to enter.

His office. His bedroom.

It had to be in one of them, right?

She was mad enough to open the doors, she decided. A day ago, she would have never thought about violating big bro’s privacy, especially since he had made her room so nice. But now…now he was hiding things. Important things. And if she had to steal the truth away from him, then so be it.

A little thrill fluttered in her heart.

It reminded her of stealing the phone with Ren.

Bedroom first.

She screwed up her courage, clenched her teeth, frowned and grabbed the bedroom doorknob. This was it! She was going in!

 _Click click_.

Locked.

“Aw,” Nanako said.

_Clicaclickaclickaclickaclicka._

Nope, definitely locked.

She turned around to the office, this time grabbing the handle without the big buildup. The door swung open freely.

The office looked like…well, an office. There was a desk and a bookshelf, a couple of side tables where papers were stacked neatly. Yu was quite fastidious.

She turned on the light on her phone and started scanning around the room. She wasn’t sure why she was doing that, she could just turn on the room light. But she didn’t, just kept sweeping the little white circle back and forth, hoping to find a clue. Anything, really.

Her light settled on a decorative trunk - the kind you would see on a steamship during the 1900s. It was black leather with brass buttons and a big latch. The latch was unlocked.

Seemed sorta obvious to put a secret in a big chest, but she might as well start somewhere. She hefted the lid open.

“Whoah.”

She pulled out a katana.

The design was simple - black scabbard and hilt. She set her phone on a shelf and pulled out a couple of inches of the blade. Shiny and silver. And it looked sharp.

_“Back off, Shadows!”_

The memory flashed in her head, less than a second long. He had been holding this sword when she was taken into that world. He had used it to fight the monsters, the shadows.

She set the sword aside and kept looking.

Next was a small glasses case. She opened it. Black rims with some rainbow colored lines on the side. She unfolded them and put them on.

Yu wore glasses regularly these days, but these didn’t have a prescription. Or they did, they were pretty weak.

There was only one more item in the chest, a ridiculously huge book. She hefted it out and held her light over it.

It was blue leather with gold bindings. In the center of the cover was a fancy “V” in embossed gold. It reminded her of Margaret’s outfit, now that she thought about it. The V was encircled by two words.

“Compendium Personae,” Nanako read.

She put the sword back into the chest and shut it. She picked up her phone, took the Compendium, and head back out to the hallway. She clicked the door softly behind her, then rushed back to her bedroom, shutting the door and locking it behind her.

She found her desk lamp and clicked it on, then set the book down. It was only now that she realized how ridiculous the book looked. It looked like it was plucked out of a wizard’s castle or from the library of a king. There were too many pages, and it was too heavy for her to carry it with one hand.

She took a deep breath. Her heart was racing, her forehead a little sweaty from her mad dash down the hallway.

What was inside?

She opened the cover.

The first page said “The Fool.”

She turned.

Izanagi appeared on the next page. There were all sorts of words describing abilities that she only faintly understood. Reading it gave her an instinct into how Izanagi worked a little better, and how it worked within her own body.

She turned the page.

Yomotsu-shikone, the page said.

She read the words, but it didn’t fill her with quite the same understanding. Somehow she felt like this persona was just a little bit out of reach…

Why did she have this? Why did Margaret want her to find it?

It was at that point that she realized she was still wearing the glasses. She slipped them off her face and rubbed her eyes, then turned to continue looking at the book.

Except, the word s were gone.

And the picture was a little more…dull. Like it was a sketchy, faded version of itself. She frowned and held the glasses up to her face again.

Through the lenses, she could see the sharp, clear picture and the words.

“Weird…” she said. Why did the glasses allow her to see the Compendium?

Her head was filled with so many questions. But finally the exhaustion was catching up with her. It was almost midnight now, and she really needed to get some sleep, otherwise she’d be late for school again.

Even if Kamoshida would cover for her, she didn’t want to.

She turned off the light, hid the Compendium in her school bag, and tucked herself into bed.

She fell asleep.

What Nanako didn’t know was that out in the living room, the channel changed.

Standing in the center of the TV, looking longingly out into the world, was a young blonde man with crystal blue eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, we made it through 4/12! Hooray! It took forever, just like the real game!


	37. 4/13 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chie gets her new assignment.

Protein shake.

100 push ups.

100 sit ups.

50 kicks with each leg.

Chie was nervous about what her “new assignment” was going to be, but she wouldn’t let it disrupt her routine. She still got up at 5:00 AM for her apartment workout. If she had a later shift, she’d add in a run, but she needed to be at the station at 8 today.

Shower. Dress. Eggs while watching the news. Two cups of coffee.

Maybe the chief would forget. He seemed pretty upset yesterday, but he was also a very busy guy, and reassigning an officer to another position just because she had arrested someone couldn’t possibly be on his priority list. Although, the lawsuit would probably be pretty high on her list…

But the guy was stealing Featherman cards. How was he going to afford a decent attorney?

She got onto the train and yawned.

She looked at her phone. She sent the best dog pictures and gifs to Yukiko and Kanji in their “Puppers” group chat.

She arrived at the station and strode straight and steady, hoping to walk by Officer Jiro, who worked the reception desk.

“Hey, Satonaka,” he called out. “Chief wants to see you.”

“Darn it,” Chie said. She turned on her heel and walked to the Chief’s office. What she needed was a plan. Maybe get him a bagel? A coffee? Try to be cute? Try to be tough? Throw herself on the mercy of the court?

“Good morning chief, I-”

“Your orders, Satonaka,” the chief said, not even looking up from his computer screen. He held out an envelope with his other hand.

“Chief, I-”

“Don’t thank me. I had nothing to do with it. Report to the prosecutor’s office.”

Chie took the envelope. “Yes, sir.”

The prosecutor’s office wasn’t far from the police headquarters, so Chie just walked it. What the heck was going on? She wanted to open the envelope and peak at her orders, but she wasn’t sure if she was supposed to or not. This was the first time she’d ever been given written orders like this before.

She walked into the prosecutor’s office and gave her name to the reception. She was directed to a conference room on the second floor. She walked in.

“Officer Chie Satonaka reporting in, ma’am,” Chie said.

The woman turned around.

She was strikingly beautiful, with silver hair and crimson eyes. She was lithe and wore an amazing suit with her prosecutor’s badge pinned to her lapel. The conference room was empty, save for her. Her laptop was plugged into the wall on one end, and piles of papers were spread out across the table.

“Officer?” she said, frowning.

“Y-yes?” Chie said. “Here are my orders.”

She handed the prosecutor envelope. She opened it and scanned the page.

“The hell is this…” the prosecutor muttered to herself. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Ma’am?”

“Sorry, I just didn’t realize we were getting a police liaison attached to this. But…” the prosecutor worked to put on a professional demeanor. “My name is Sae Niijima. Officer…” she glanced down at the papers, “Satonaka, what’s your expertise surrounding these mental shutdown cases?”

Chie couldn’t hide her shock. She had heard of the series of strange accidents where people fell either into psychotic episodes or simply fell over and died. There had been all sorts of muttering within the police department about what was behind it, and who was supposed to investigate it. Was it a police matter? A matter of public health? Was someone doing this to someone with poison? Nobody knew what it was or who was supposed to be responsible for it.

Now, it seemed, she knew who was responsible for it. She was.

“I don’t have any expertise that I’m aware of,” Chie said honestly.

“Then why were you selected for this?”

“I’m not entirely sure, ma’am.”

“Oh, hello.”

Chie heard the pleasant voice and turned around. A teenager with long brown hair wearing a school uniform gave a sweet smile.

“I didn’t realize we were going to have police presence here this morning. I’m Akechi.”

“Satonaka,” Chie replied. “And I apologize for showing up like this, I just found out this morning I was supposed to be here.”

“And we’re just finding out whether or not she’s going to be useful,” Sae said. Chie frowned. Akechi shook his head.

“I’m sure Officer Satonaka has a lot of admirable qualities that will help us in this investigation,” Akechi said. “And I think it will be good to work alongside the police. It will be easier if we have one point of contact that we can trust, don’t you think?”

“You were enough point of contact with the police for my taste,” Sae said. Akechi laughed.

“Well, that’s very kind of you to say, but we both know I don’t hold any official rank or power within their organization.”

“Hey…” Chie said, looking at Akechi. His voice, his phrasing, it all started to come together. “You’re _that_ Akechi. The one on TV. The Detective Prince.”

“Ah, that’s a little embarrassing,” Akechi said. “But yes, that’s me. I hope you’ll forgive my media appearances. I know not all of the police appreciate the interviews I give.”

“No, no, it’s fine. It’s funny, I know the first Detective Prince, so I guess I’m already used to this. Though I’m not sure how she would feel about losing her title…”

“He’s more than welcome to it.”

Chie spun around.

“Naoto?!”

Naoto stood in a sharp and stylish blue suit with a lightweight overcoat and blue cap. Her fell down to her shoulders. She was still pretty short, but she was as calm and collected as ever.

“You’re the one that requested Officer Satonaka?” Sae asked.

“Indeed I am. I apologize for not notifying you earlier, but things happened quicker than I had hoped. I am pleased for it.”

“You two know each other,” Akechi stated.

“Yes, we are old friends,” Naoto said. “Which is why I think this will be the best choice. We all know that the SIU Director has been pressuring us to bring on a police liaison. Now we have one that I can trust.”

“Fine, whatever helps us move on with the case,” Sae said.

“Akechi-kun, you really need to get to school, and I’m sure you have a lot to do, Sae-san,” Naoto said. “Let’s skip the meeting for today. I will brief Officer Satonaka on what we have so far. I wouldn’t want to waste either of your time with reviewing information you already know.”

Akechi smiled brightly. ‘That’s very kind of you, Naoto-san. You truly are an inspiring mentor. It was nice meeting you, Officer Satonaka.”

Akechi bowed and rushed off. Chie turned to say goodbye to Sae, but she was already seated at her computer.

“This way,” Naoto said.

Chie followed her into the hallway.

“Man, she’s kinda bitchy,” Chie said. “What’s going on?”

“Not yet,” Naoto said. Chie nodded. They walked into the elevator, where Naoto pushed the button for the parking garage.

“So-”

“Not yet,” Naoto said.

Hm.

Even after all these years, Naoto could still be the most difficult to read. Her mind was always working on a level much faster than Chie’s - much faster than most people’s, actually. They were still friends, but she wasn’t the “make a group chat with dog pictures” kind of friend. Chie realized she hadn’t seen Naoto since Christmas, when the group always went back to Inaba.

The elevator door opened and they stepped into the parking garage.

“I can’t believe that-”

“Not yet,” Naoto said.

They found her car, a gorgeous classic car that looked like it was pulled from the 1930s. It was midnight blue with bright chrome ornamentation. The door was heavy and slammed shut with an almost ominous resonance. Naoto turned the ignition, and the engine rumbled like a beast. She didn’t say one word until they were out of the parking lot and on the road.

“Okay. Now.”

“You’re working on the mental shutdown cases?” Chie said. “Well, of course you are, that makes total sense. But why pull me onto it?”

“Because the case has gotten very complicated and I need someone I trust watching my back,” Naoto said.

“Aw, really? I’m honored. I’m going to do everything I can. And thank you for requesting me, you kinda saved me…”

“It’s more than just the mental shutdowns,” Naoto interrupted.

“What do you mean?”

Chie watched Naoto’s face shift expression. She blinked several times as a tear slid out of each eye. She sniffed and gripped the wheel, trying to regain composure.

“I found Teddie.”


	38. 4/13 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako goes to school.

Nanako grunted as she dropped her massively heavy bag onto her desk. The Compendium Personae took up most of her bag now. In fact, she had to carry a few of her other books in her hands this morning.

She rubbed her shoulders. She’d have to figure out a different way to deal with it.

She sat, slipped on her big bro’s glasses, and opened the Compendium, then slid it into the cubby hole in her desk. She could glance at it during class and maybe figure out why this was so important.

Ren walked in a few moments later. He paused and glanced at her.

“You don’t wear glasses,” he said.

“Neither do you.”


	39. 4/13 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako answers a question.

“All right, listen up, there have been rumors moving around the school lately and I won’t tolerate them,” Ushimaru-sensei, the social studies teacher, said. “Foolish teens like yourself try to spice up your boring lives by inventing stories that simply don’t make any sense. So I hope that you’ll take these rumors and shut them up.”

Nanako watched as a few students glanced towards her and Ren’s corner. She wasn’t sure if Ushimaru-sense was helping or hurting - or what his intention was.

“In any case, we can really know what another person is thinking or feeling. At least, that was what the psychologist Karl Jung said. He theorized that there were two versions of who we are, one true inner self, and the one self that we presented to the outer world. Let’s see….Dojima, do you know what he called that outer self?”

Nanako glanced around, looking for help. Was this in the reading last night? She had been so tired that she forgot to do it. Or had she done and it she didn’t remember it?

She saw the Compendium and decided to take a shot at it.

“A persona,” Nanako said.

“Huh. Very good. Now…”

Ushimaru-sensei started writing something on the board. Nanako could hear her classmates chattering around her.

“Hey, the girl knew that answer! It wasn’t even in the reading.”

“Maybe she’s not really with the criminal.”

“Or maybe she’s trying to save him, you know?”

“Maybe he’s saving her. In bed. If you know what I mean.”

“Ew, gross.”

Nanako sighed.


	40. 4/13 - Afterschool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren, Ryuji, and Nanako look for the palace.

Nanako was relieved when the school day was over, which was an odd feeling for her. School was never something that she felt was a burden before. It was probably the lack of sleep, or at least that’s what she was hoping. Maybe it was because she kept glancing at the Compendium.

Whatever the reason, she was glad it was over. She took an extra minute to sort out her books. If she was strategic, then she could leave a little bit to alleviate the weight of her bag.

She stepped out of the classroom a minute later to see Ren waiting in the hallway, watching. She followed his gaze.

Kamoshida and Takamaki were having a conversation.

Takamaki, the gorgeous blonde that Ren was talking to on their first day of school. The gorgeous blonde that sat in front of Ren every day. Nanako idly tugged on one of her own twin tails. They were straight and brown and…well, plain. Compared to the thick, voluminous clouds of gold that Takamaki had, they were pretty forgettable.

She walked up to Ren’s side to try and hear what they were saying, but the conversation was over. Takamaki headed down the hallway. Kamoshida stared after her a moment.

“Tch,” he said before turning and heading up the stairs.

“What was that about?” Nanako asked.

“Not sure,” Ren said. “Come on.”

They walked together down to the front entrance of the school. Leaning by the front gate was Ryuji.

“All right, we ready to do this?” he said.

“Why are you so fired up about this?” Ren asked, as cool and casual as he could be.

“Because this has to do with that bastard Kamoshida, somehow. I’m not letting this go until we figure it out.”

“Don’t you think we need to protect people from him? If it’s true?” Nanako asked. Though she was speaking in general, she couldn’t help but wonder if Takamaki was getting the same sort of treatment Nanako was. Or worse. And she wondered if Ren thought that too.

And if he was worried about her.

_Come on Nanako, now’s not the time for high school jealousy…_

“Right. How do we do this?”

“I figure we just retrace our steps until we find the castle. Come on.”

Ryuji led the way, with Ren and Nanako flanking behind him. They walked along the road and circled back around to the spot where the three of them first met yesterday morning.

“This is where we were…now we just need to follow the same path. You two keep an eye out for anything strange, got it?” Ryuji said.

“Yeah, sure,” Ren said.

They walked. Nanako adjusted her bag strap.

“Did you sleep okay?” Ren asked, suddenly. Nanako glanced over.

“Yeah, I guess so. Why?”

“Uh…well, you just look a little tired. That’s all.”

“You should talk,” Nanako said. “You look a little worn out too.”

“Yesterday was pretty intense,” he said. “And I had a pretty weird dream. Wasn’t very restful.”

“Yeah. Well. There’s a lot of changes. That can be stressful for sure. It’s going to take us time to adjust.”

“So…you’re staying then,” Ren said.

“Yeah. Did you really think I was going to turn back now?”

Ren let a small smile slip on his face. “No, I guess not.”

“We’re in this together. Whatever ‘this’ is.”

“Aw, come on! We’re back at school!” Ryuji yelled. “Okay, maybe I made a wrong turn…let’s try it again.”

They tried it twice more, each time ending up at the school’s front entrance.

“We must be doing something wrong…” Ryuji said. “Hey what was that navigation app?”

Ren and Ryuji fell into a conversation, but Nanako wasn’t listening. She was back to trying to adjust her bag again. This book stupidly large. Really, who made it? Couldn’t they have printed this in paperback? Or better yet, a PDF she could put on her phone.

The strap of her bag snapped. Everything came spilling out of her bag and onto the sidewalk in front of the school. Nanako sighed and crouched down to pick it all up.

“Hey, let me help you there.”

The voice came from a boy wearing a second year pin. He knelt next to her and started gathering up books and pens.

“Thanks, it’s okay, I got it,” Nanako said.

“Hey, cool book,” the guy said, picking up the Compendium. “Heavy. What is it?”

“It’s just a…” Nanako struggled for an explanation. “…Family heirloom.”

“Nice. These cheap school bags aren’t really meant to hold things that heavy though…let me see…” the guy picked up the Compendium and looked at it from multiple angles. He then seemed to weigh it in his hand, then handed it to Nanako with a nod. Nanako noticed his hands were really strong. They also had a nice smell to them…like…leather.

“Okay, got it. Meet me here tomorrow, okay? I’ll have the solution to your problem.”

“Um…okay?”

“My name’s Satoichi Sano, by the way. Class 2-A.”

“Nanako Dojima, class 2-D.”

“Nice meeting you, Dojima-san. See you tomorrow!”

“Bye…?”

The young man stood up and walked away.

“Hey, Nanako, over here!” Ryuji said. Nanako frowned, not remembering when she gave him permission to use her first name but she wasn’t going to make a thing of it. She got up, keeping the Compendium under her arm instead of in the bag, and walked over.

Ren had his phone out with an app she didn’t recognize.

“What the heck is this thing?” Nanako asked.

“I think it’s how we get back,” Ren said.

_“Beginning navigation.”_


	41. 4/13 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team learns a few things.

“Whoah, your clothes changed again!”

Ren looked down at his hand and saw that it was gloved. Then he struck a pose.

“Not bad, right?”

“You like it!?” Ryuji yelled.

“You would,” Nanako said, but she couldn’t help but laugh a little. It did suit him, somehow. Even with the curly toed boots. Maybe it was because the clothes seemed to change his posture a little. His demeanor. He shifted back towards the boy she had met that night two months ago.

Nanako looked down at herself, but nothing had changed about her clothes. The Compendium, on the other hand, looked very different. Not only did it look as sharp and bright as it did when she wore Yu’s glasses, but it was _glowing_. She opened the book and had to squint as the light poured out of it.

She slipped the glasses on and the glare of the light dimmed. The contents of the pages were the same, but when she opened it to Izanagi, she could see his card floating in the air. She reached out and grabbed it, and it became…attached, for lack of a better word. She could feel his presence within her now, and all she had to do was open her palm and bring forth his card.

“Nanako?” Ryuji asked. “You okay there?”

“Yeah, just getting ready,” she said. “By the way, very presumptuous of you to use my first name…”

“Ah! S-sorry, I didn’t mean-”

She smiled. “It’s fine. Just messing with you a little.”

She opened up her school bag and pulled books and pens out of it, setting them by the front entrance. She’d get them on the way out. I mean, this was some sort of alternate dimension, right? Who was going to take her school supplies? With her bag empty, she put the Compendium in it and used the one functioning strap to hang it over her shoulder.

“So it worked. And we found it. Now what?” Ryuji asked. Ren took a step forward, hands in his pockets, scanning the facade of the castle carefully.

“Hmm…well, the vent we used to get out should still be open. We can sneak back in that way and take a look around. We’ll move quietly and carefully. You in decent shape?”

“You’re looking at the ex-track star,” Ryuji said, his voice tinged with a little irritation, but his smile full of confidence. “Yeah, I can handle myself. What about her?”

Before Nanako could answer, Ren said, “She can handle herself.”

She swelled with a little pride at this.

“Besides, you’re the only one without a Persona,” Nanako said. Ryuji bristled at that.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”

“You rookies are back? After all the effort I went through getting you out of here safely?”

The three of them spun around to look at Morgana. He was climbing out of the vent.

“Call us stubborn,” Ren said.

“We need to figure out what’s going on,” Nanako said. Morgana smiled and crossed his arms.

“I suppose I could use a little back up. The guards in this palace have proven to be a lot more numerous than I thought. I’ve managed to get through the first couple of portions, but I’ll need a little muscle to push through the rest. Just hope that you’re not too clumsy or brainless.”

“Hey, watch it kitty, I’ll-”

Ren held up a hand to stop Ryuji.

“Teach us what you know, sensei.”

“Sensei? That has a nice ring. But I don’t want to be responsible for your entire education. Right now we’re just…confidants. Two thieves working for the same goal. Come on.”

Morgana hopped back up the vent. Ren shrugged and darted to the edge, sliding up the side with ease.

“You want a boost up?” Ryuji asked.

“I’m wearing a skirt,” Nanako reminded him.

“R-right, sorry.”

Chie had once told her to always wear shorts. She should’ve listened.

The interior of the palace was as real as ever. Only the very edges of her awareness seemed to betray the dreaminess of this world, especially the spots of her peripheral vision that she couldn’t see through the glasses. It was strange that these glasses worked in this world. She wondered where they were from. They weren’t exactly selling alternate dimension specs at Junes.

They landed on the interior of the castle and started moving down the hallways as quietly as they could. Morgan and Ren took the lead, with Morgana slightly ahead.

“So…what is this place?” Nanako whispered.

“I call it a Palace,” Morgana said. “It’s the inner world of a person, a manifestation of how they see the world. The king here…what did you say his name was?”

“Kamoshida,” Nanako said.

“Yeah, Kamoshida is the palace’s ruler. He sees himself as king of this castle, so the Palace changes to reflect that,” Morgana said.

“But this isn’t a castle. It’s our school,” Ryuji said.

“He sees himself as king of the school,” Ren said.

“Hey, you catch on pretty quick,” Morgana said with a grin. He pushed open a door, peered into the hallway, then motioned them forward. The door across from them was unlocked, and Ren slid it open while Morgana shut the last door behind them.

“Okay, so all of this represents how Kamoshida feels…why is it here?” Nanako asked.

“You’re in the Metaverse. It’s a world where people’s inner thoughts come to life.”

Nanako felt a pulse in her head and she suddenly felt dizzy. She reached out for the wall to catch herself, but she was too far away.

She started to fall.

_“I saved her! Just like I saved all of you!”_

_“Put her down, Namatame!”_

_“Let go of Nana-chan!”_

_“Big bro, help!”_

A pair of strong arms caught her back. Her vision started to clear and she blinked several times, trying to focus on the face peering down at her.

…It was Ryuji.

“You okay?” he said, looking worried.

“Yeah, sorry, just…got a little light headed,” she said. She picked herself up. “Thanks.”

“Uh, yeah, no problem…” Ryuji mumbled. He looked as awkward as Nanako felt. Ren glanced at her, his gaze intense through the slots of his mask. He said nothing to her, instead turning to face Morgana.

“Does everyone have a palace?”

“No. Just people with really intense distorted desires.”

“Ha, I knew it! I knew Kamoshida was a creep!” Ryuji yelled.

“Shh, keep it down you idiot!” Morgana scolded.

There was a thunk from the other side of the room. The door was opening.

“Hide!” Morgana hissed.

The room they had entered was a small sitting room. It had a rough hewn wooden table in the center with four chairs surrounding it. There were also a couple of large shelves along the wall filled with what looked to be maps and model figures. This must be a war room of some kind, Nanako realized. She quickly pivoted behind one of the shelves, trying to push herself as small as possible. Morgana leapt up to the top of the shelf she was hiding behind and pressing himself as low as possible.

Where was Ren?

Nanako didn’t dare look around the corner. The heavy thunking footsteps of a guard filled the room.

_Thunk, thunk, thunk._

Pause.

_Thunk._

He was turning, Nanako thought.

 _Thunk, thunk_.

He turned the other way? She needed to know. She risked peeking one eye around the corner.

A dark shape fell from the ceiling and cloaked the knight’s shoulders. Ren was balancing himself on the top of the guard! He reached down and grabbed the chin of the knight’s mask.

“Show me your true form!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So some of you have correctly guessed that Satoichi Sano, who is not a real Persona character, is going to be "important." 
> 
> Well, yes and no. 
> 
> By the time I had filled out all of Nanako's social link arcanas, I was three short. Some of the characters it makes sense for Nanako to have her own individual SL relationship with, but others don't (mostly the side confidants that Ren has, like Tae, Ohya, Shinya, etc.) 
> 
> So I made three new characters. They're just going to be "side social links" so their influence is mostly about Nanako's growth as a person rather than anything major to the story. I know the presence of OCs is a...complicated issue in fanfiction. But I hope you'll trust me and stick around for the ride!


	42. 4/13 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Infiltrate.

The mask peeled back and the red-black ink of the shadow swirled around it. Ren jumped off the shoulders before they melted away, landing in a three-point stance on the table.

A pixie replaced the knight. She looked furious, her body glowing with its own power.

“What are you gnats doing in King Kamoshida’s palace? You really think you can overpower the mighty king?”

“Arsene!”

The blue flames wrapped around Ren as his mask evaporated into ash. The moment Arsene took his full form, he opened his mouth in a wicked laugh. A stream of red energy slashed out from his mouth and slashed across the pixie’s torso. The pixie screeched and fell to the ground, somehow disoriented by the attack.

“Nice work! Let’s get it!” Morgana yelled.

Nanako stepped around the corner and summoned up her card, but something else was already happening.

The pixie picked itself up from the floor and had managed to get a little bit of height, just enough for Morgana to slide beneath her and slash his sword at her underside. She yelled out in pain, but not before Ren came leaping across, slicing a dagger blade across her throat. Morgana had already gotten to his feet and jumped up to give a spinning slash at the pixie. Ren caught himself on the opposite wall and used it to pounce at the pixie again, this time slashing his dagger down across her back.

That was the last blow it needed. It melted around him, turning back into inky sludge that melted into the floor.

“Nice all-out attack,” Morgana said, tossing his cutlass in the air, where it seemed to vanish. “You’re a natural, frizzy hair.”

“Where did that dagger come from?” Nanako asked. Ren looked at the weapon in his hand and shrugged.

“I don’t know. It was just there when I needed it.”

He let it go, and like Morgana’s cutlass, it vanished.

“This is a cognitive world. What you think and believe matter a lot in here. If you need a weapon, one will show up,” Morgana said.

Nanako tried to imagine a weapon. First she thought about her big bro’s sword. Then her dad’s gun.

Nothing. Maybe she didn’t “need” it, so it wasn’t appearing.

“Huh, does that mean this might work?” Ryuji asked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun.

“What the heck, Ryuji, where did you get that!” Nanako said.

“H-hey, relax! It’s not real! It’s just a model!”

Nanako paused and looked a little closer. Now that she thought about it, it wasn’t exactly the right size, and a few minor details were off.

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Huh, maybe the blonde one isn’t that dumb after all. That will actually work. If the Shadows believe the gun is real, then it will work as a real gun in here. Give it to that guy.”

“What? Why? It’s my gun,” Ryuji said.

“Because you don’t have a Persona! If you attract attention and the shadows come after you, you can’t defend yourself. Idiot.”

“He’s right, it’s probably safer,” Ren said. “I’ll give it back.”

“Eh, sure, fine,” Ryuji said. He tossed it into the air and Ren snatched it. He looked down the barrel, then spun it stylishly and slipped it into his coat.

“Seriously, why are you so good at this?” Ryuji asked.

Ren shrugged, smiled, and winked. Nanako felt her heart speed up a little.

_Now isn’t the time for that Nanako, focus!_

“Can you take us back towards the lower dungeon?” Ren asked.

“Sure. Follow me.”

Morgana led the way through the castle. They were as quiet as they could be, managing to avoid the few guards they spotted. Eventually they found a narrow door that led back to the spiral stairs that went down. They leaned against the wall and took it a step at a time until they got back to one of the dark, narrow hallways. The smell of water, iron, and moss was thick in the air again.

Nanako heard a cry of pain. She took a few running steps forward, wanting to see what was at the end of the hall.

A knight turned the corner, his massive body blocking the whole of the corridor. Nanako skid to a stop and held out her hand.

“Persona!”

Izanagi appeared above the knight just as it was morphing into a pair of strange little pixie people with flower heads.

Mandrakes. They were called mandrakes. She wasn’t sure how she knew that, but it filled her head as clear as day the moment she stared at them, much like the way she knew what Izanagi was capable of doing.

Izanagi swooped down and crashed his blade into the shoulder of the first mandrake. The second mandrake came charging forward, aiming his head straight at Nanako.

A weapon. She needed a weapon.

Sword. Club. Spear. Gun. Cartoon mallet. Anything! Anything at all!

It was getting closer.

Nanako grit her teeth and swung her bag. The heavy Compendium inside the bag made a satisfying _thwack_ that sent the mandrake stumbling into the side of the wall.

_Blam blam blam!_

The second mandrake, still stunned from her book-thwack, shook three times as Ren fired his fake gun. Both mandrakes melted, and Izanagi faded.

“Hey, nice moves,” Morgana said. “Looks like I’ve found two impressive proteges…though I’m not sure swinging a book around is really a good look for a thief.”

“Well I tried thinking of a weapon, but nothing showed up,” Nanako grumbled.

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you everything I know. You two are really showing a lot of promise.”

“How do you know all of this, anyway? Are you a…shadow? A creature from this world?”

“I am _not_ a shadow! I’m a human! I just…something happened to me.”

“What happened?” Nanako asked.

“I…don’t know. I can’t remember. Whatever happened to me, my memories were taken from me too. I know _how_ to do things…I just don’t remember why I know them, or where I learned them. That’s part of why I’m here. I think if I keep using these skills and stealing Treasure, my memories will return to me,” Morgana said.

“I’m sorry,” Nanako siad. Morgana’s facial features were hard to read, but Nanako felt like he looked a little bit embarrassed.

“It’s fine.”

“Maybe we can help you, too,” Nanako suggested. “I mean, we need help getting through this place and figuring out why we’re in it. We can make it an even trade.”

Morgana narrowed his eyes and thought about it.

“Okay. We can work with that for now. Come on.”

=====

SOCIAL LINK RANK UP

Tower: Morgana

Level 1


	43. 4/13 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji learns a new word.

Nanako ran across the bridge above the water flowing through the dungeon. When she got to the center, she dropped to her knees and clutched her hair.

“No! No no! I’m so scared! Where am I? Can’t someone help me!?”

Three guards turned their heads - two were on the opposite end of the bridge, while one was behind her, Nanako having ran past him before he saw her.

“Check it out,” one guard said. “I’ll watch this end.”

One guard stood at either end of the bridge while the third marched across towards Nanako, sword drawn.

“Hey, you’re one of the new concubines,” the guard said. “What are you doing here?”

“Concubine?” Nanako said, snapping her head up to look at the guard, her terror act falling away. “What do you mean by that?!”

“You need to get back to your quarters before King Kamoshida realizes you’re out and about,” the guard said.

Nanako caught a flicker of motion out of the corner of her eye.

“Arsene!” Ren dropped from the ceiling above the guard on the other end of the bridge. 

“Zorro!” Morgana jumped out from behind a box.

Arsene’s hand drove through the back of the guard, puncturing through both ends of the armor. Zorro’s sword made a precision strike at the back of the other guard’s neck in the gap between the armor plates.

“What the-” the last guard looked back and forth, watching his comrades melt.

“Izanagi!”

Izanagi rushed from beneath the bridge, driving his sword up through the bottom of the shadow’s jaw. Nanako watched as the mask came dislodged, his body trying to transform into his true form. But the damage was too great, and it melted away before the transformation could complete.

The Personas faded. Nanako picked herself back up.

“Nice plan,” Morgana said to Ren as they, and Ryuji, crossed the bridge.

“Thanks. Come on,” Ren said, before dashing down the next corridor, coat flagging behind him.

Nanako adjusted her broken bag. Why didn’t she transform into a cool thief with magic weapons that appeared and disappeared? Carrying this bag around was going to be a major drag.

“Here it is!” Ryuji said. The team turned down a hallway to a prison cell, the same one they had briefly stopped at on their way out. “We gotta help him.”

“Wait, what? You guys came back here to save this guy?” Morgana said, exasperated. Nanako was a little confused too. Ryuji frowned.

“Well yeah we did! Me and Ren talked it over and we agreed we couldn’t leave anyone behind in this world!” Ryuji said.

“You idiot,” Morgana snapped. “I already told you, _they’re cognitions!_ ”

“I don’t care, they don’t deserve to be in here!”

A thought clicked into place in Nanako’s brain.

“Ryuji…do you know what cognition means?”

“Yeah, it means someone who has been sent to prison!”

“No…that’s _convict_. Cognition is like a thought. These people aren’t real, just like the shadows aren’t real. They’re versions of people in Kamoshida’s mind. Right?” Nanako said, looking to Morgana for confirmation. The cat crossed his arms and nodded.

“At least one of you gets it.”

“Oh…I see. So he thinks of the volleyball team members as being imprisoned by him,” Ryuji said.

“Exactly,” Nanako said. Ryuji spun around and glared at Ren.

“Why didn’t you tell me this!”

“I _tried to_ ,” Ren said. He sounded a little exasperated but he was smiling.

Huh. He was smiling. Nanako had to admit that Ryuji had a pretty fun energy about him. She even found it a little amusing. Sure, he’d made a mistake but it was a good-hearted mistake. He wanted to help those who couldn’t help themselves.

So maybe his vocabulary needed some work. Big deal. He had a hero’s heart, Nanako realized.

“Maybe this isn’t all for nothing,” Nanako said. “If the cognitions are accurate, then these should be real people, right?”

Ryuji turned to look at the student. He crouched down to get a better look.

“Yeah, actually, I know this guy. He’s on the volleyball team, for sure.”

“Then we can find them in the real world and convince them to testify,” Nanako said. “Conversely, if Kamoshida _isn’t_ abusing them, then they won’t have anything to say. Lack of evidence is evidence, after all.”

“You still think Kamoshida might be innocent?” Ryuji said. He looked disgusted.

“Evidence is everything,” Nanako said. “If you want Kamoshida to be punished under the law, you need to be able to prove it.”

“It’s a good idea,” Ren said. “Let’s find as many students as we can, memorize their faces, and then investigate again in the real world.”

“Yeah, all right,” Ryuji said.

Nanako was horrified by the rest of the dungeon. The screaming they heard yesterday was coming from the cognitive students, but it sounded so very real. It didn’t help when they saw what was happening to them: being tied upside down and shot with a volleyball cannon, being forced to run on treadmills with spikes and fire chasing behind them. There was even a room where a student was chained to the center of the floor while a guard beat him with a stick. Nanako couldn’t think of any possible training benefit for that.

It was pure cruelty. And it made Nanako sick to her stomach.

“Do you need a break?” Ren asked. She jumped, startled. He could move so quietly.

“No, I’m fine,” Nanako insisted, straightening the broken bag on her shoulders and finding newfound determination. “There are people in the real world going through these abuses. I can handle looking at a cognitive version of them.”

“Do you have enough faces already?” Morgana asked. “I’m sensing a lot of shadow movement…something is happening. Maybe they’ve noticed all the guards we took out so far. We should get going.”

“I think we’ve found enough,” Ren said. “Let’s go.”


	44. 4/13 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hierophant Anzu, Garu Splash.

“We’ll cut through the front entrance and use the main doors to- aack!”

Morgana was cut off by the sudden slash of a sword. The cat thief’s reflexes were fast enough that he sprung into the air and did a backflip over Ren’s head, to land behind him. Ren, his reflexes also cat-like, snapped out his dagger and cut several times into the guard’s chest, shoving him backwards.

“This isn’t good…” Nanako said.

The main hallway was filled with shadows. One by one they transformed into their true shapes.

“Arsene! Ravage them!”

Arsene appeared and rushed through, cutting a path through a cluster of jack o’ lanterns.

“Persona! My other self!” Morgana cried, bringing Zorro to the forefront. His blade made several sweeping motions, tunneling green wind at a flock of pixies overhead.

“Stay behind me!” Nanako called to Ryuji. He looked pissed off and scared at the same time, and for a moment it looked like he was going to rush past Nanako and fight off the shadows with his fists.

“Fine,” he said, bitterly.

Nanako turned to the battle. There was no way they could win the fight outright. Her mind was already exhausted from using Izanagi, and her legs were getting tired too. Ahead, Ren and Arsene fought like demons, the two of them cutting at shadow after shadow. It was beautiful and scary all at once, especially since they seemed to have the same maniacal grins.

But Ren was only human. He could’t keep up that pace forever.

Morgana dodged beneath another attack and then lined up Zorro carefully. His wind burst struck the center of a knight shadow and threw it through the air to impact another one.

Morgana was being way more strategic. He was conserving his energy, fighting smarter rather than harder. Nanako realized that Morgana was trying to create an opening to the door, not defeat every shadow in the room. That was the smart move.

But Izanagi’s lightning couldn’t help with that. Sure, she could attack an enemy, maybe a few at a time, but until they were destroyed they’d still be standing in the way. What she really needed was wind, like Morgana. In the strange portion of her mind that seemed to know things about her persona, she knew flatly that Izanagi couldn’t control wind.

But something else could.

Trance-like, Nanako set down her bag.

“Hey, Nanako! Nanako! You all right?!” Ryuji yelled. “You’re not fainting again, are you?”

Nanako took out the Compendium and turned the pages.

Hierophant.

One page of the Hierophant was glowing now. She read the name written at the top.

“Anzu,” she whispered.

The page flashed, and a new card appeared. Nanako reached out and touched her hand to it. Izanagi’s card appeared for a moment, then vanished, replaced by this new card.

Yes. She understood now. She could call Izanagi again if she needed to by finding him in the book.

“Persona!” she yelled, squeezing the card.

A new beast appeared above her - a purple monster with the body of an eagle but the head of a lion. It opened its frightening mouth and let out a roar.

“W-what the hell is that?!” Ryuji yelled.

“Garu!” Nanako called. Anzu reacted by diving towards the nearest bicorn and releasing a green blast of wind. The bicorn was picked up from the ground and sent hurtling across the room, crashing into three knights.

“Come on!” Nanako called back. She started running and Morgana took a position next to her.

“You used another persona!? You have some hidden power!” Morgana said. “No time to figure that out now, help me push a path open!”

Anzu and Zorro sent blasts of wind one after the other, shoving the shadows out of the way utnil there was a clear path to the door.

“Ren!” Nanako yelled. “Let’s go!”

She turned to watch. Ren was on the top of a knight’s shoulders, pulling off its mask and driving his dagger into its face. Behind him, Arsene released streaks of red energy that caused the shadows to shrivel and die.

“Hold the door,” Nanako said to Morgana. Before he could argue, Nanako was charging forward again, Anzu flying just above her head. She sent more wind through the crowd of shadows, knocking them to either side of her. Ren landed on the ground, his chest heaving with breath, his face glistening with sweat. Arsene dissolved behind him, turning back into his mask.

“Let’s go!” Nanako called. Ren nodded, then suddenly dove forward into Nanako. The impact sent Nanako falling to the ground, her concentration faltering, and Anzu vanishing above her. Ren was getting back to his feet when there was thundering of hooves.

“No!”

A knight in full armor charged through the battlefield and caught Ren’s torso on the end of his lance. Ren was picked up off his feet, carried through the air, then bashed onto the floor. His body flopped from the impact, and then didn’t move.

“Perso-!” Nanako was cut off before she grasped the card. A knight struck her in the back with a heavy gauntlet, pushing her face-down on the floor. A heavy foot pressed onto her back, and she felt the gentle pressure of a sword on the back of her neck.

“No no no!” Morgana yelled. Nanako watched as Morgana flew through the air and landed on the ground in front of her, a third knight pinning him.

“Well, well, it seems the intruders have come back for more,” called out a smooth but distorted voice. Nanako watched as King Kamoshida, clad in crown, cape, and pink briefs strode confidently into the room.

“Sir, what do you want to do with the concubine?” asked the knight standing above Nanako.

“Her? Psh. Despite my best efforts, she has chosen the life of a peasant. I think leaving her to suffer in that life will make her more amenable to my offer in the future,” said King Kamoshida.

“What are you talking about!? Concubine!? You mean you’re trying to get at Nanako!” Ryuji yelled from the door.

“Oh, look, it’s that vulgar little track brat,” said Kamoshida. “I didn’t even notice you were in here. How’s your leg?”

“Shut the hell up and let them go, you piece of shit!” Ryuji roared. “I knew it all along, and this palace proves it! You abuse the volleyball team, physically! Just like you did with the track team! And then you try to use the girls as your playthings!”

“Try?” Kamoshida laughed. “I don’t _try_ anything. I do. I am the king of the school. Sure, the principal may be the one in charge, but I’m the one with the real influence. Without me and my team, the school is nothing. That’s why your track team should have been more grateful for my presence. You could have excelled under my guidance. Instead, the star thought he knew better.”

“You always hated the track team,” Ryuji said.

“I didn’t hate it. Hating it would mean that I cared enough to think about it. It was just noise in the background. But when the star tried to lay his hands on me, I broke his leg. Then I broke his team by getting his coach fired. I broke your whole world open, didn’t I, Sakamoto?”

“Ryuji…” Nanako called out. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. That’s horrible. You’re horrible!”

“Quiet down, peasant. I don’t want to kill you. You have use to me still,” Kamoshida said. “But only if you keep your mouth shut.”

“You can’t talk to her like that!” Ryuji yelled.

“I can do whatever I want. I can break your other leg if I feel like it, and the school will call it self defense again. And I can kill these intruders. But don’t worry Sakamoto, if you can’t handle the guilt of being the cause of their deaths, then you can choose to go with them. The swords are very sharp.”

“Don’t let him win.”

Nanako looked over at Ren. He bleeding, his face bruised, but he was alive!

“What?” Ryuji said.

“Don’t let him win. He’s taken everything from you. Are you just going to stand there and let it happen again?” Ren said.

“Hell no I’m not!”

Ryuji’s eyes turned yellow.


	45. 4/13 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Kidd!

The guard got off of Nanako’s back and rushed to stand in front of King Kamoshida in a defensive position. Nanako picked herself off the ground and turned to look at Ryuji.

He was screaming. A metal skull was covering the top half of his face, and he was struggling to get it off.

“Ryuji!” She yelled, reaching out towards him.

“No, don’t!” Ren said. “He’s fine.”

With a yell, Ryuji ripped the metal skull from his face, his skin pouring blood from the area around his eyes. Then he was swallowed up in blue flame, just like the fire that consumed Ren when he summoned Arsene. The flame was wrapped in lightning bolts, and there was a huge thunder crack that reverberated through the castle.

“Hell yeah!” Ryuji called, stepping out of the fire and lightning. He was covered in metal armor and black leather and had a dashing red scarf around his neck.

A ghost pirate stood upon a ship behind him. The pirate’s right arm was a cannon that was brimming with more electricity.

“You’re screwed now, asshole! Captain Kidd! Zio!”

The pirate swung his arm cannon around and aimed it at the shadow pinning Morgana. Lightning forked from the end of the weapon and sent the shadow flying off of Morgana. The shadow bounced off a wall and collapsed, a smoking hole in the center of its chest. It melted.

“Ren!” Nanako cried, running towards him. Morgana zipped ahead of her, sliding to rest beside him.

“He’ll be fine. Get ready for a fight!” Morgana said as Zorro appeared to his side. The persona knelt beside Ren and touched him gently on the shoulder.

“Dia,” Morgana said. Green light sparkled around Ren. The visible cuts on his body sealed back up, the bruises no longer swelled. Ren leapt back to his feet, hand on his mask.

“Thanks, Morgana. Persona!”

Arsene appeared behind him. Nanako let out a breath of relief and stood up. She opened the Compendium and flipped to the front of the book.

“Izanagi, I need you!”

The four of them stood in a half circle, their Personas blazing bright. There were two shadows left, the one that had pinned Nanako and the much stronger one that had attacked Ren.

“You brats! You aren’t worthy to set foot inside my palace! Execute them!” Kamoshida yelled.

The weaker shadow charged at Ryuji. Captain Kidd leaned back in a pose of maniacal laughter and red energy radiated from him and onto Ryuji’s body. Ryuji dashed forward, suddenly much faster and stronger. He dodged under the sword strike from the shadow and ran to to the shadow’s right side.

He raised his hands above his head. Blue flamed swirled, and a metal pipe materialized into his grip.

He swung it hard into the shadow’s knee, which forced it onto the ground. He swung it upward into the shadow’s face, and then back down across the back of its neck.

It melted.

“Look familiar, Kamoshida?” Ryuji asked, patting the pipe in his hand. “It should. This is the pipe you used to break my leg. Now I’m gonna use it to break your god-damn face!”

“Guards!” Kamoshida yelped. He ran up the central stairs of the palace, leaving the mounted knight behind.

“Berith,” Nanako whispered, knowing its name.

Berith lashed out, cleaving its huge sword at Ryuji.Zorro rushed forward, his own blade raised to block the attack. Arsene appeared behind Berith and unleashed another blast of cursed energy into its back.

“Nanako!” Ryuji called. “Help me out! Let’s shock this shadow into submission!”

Ryuji was grinning from ear to ear, almost maniacal. Like the way Ren was grinning earlier.

“I’m right behind you!” Nanako said.

“Captain Kidd!”

“Izanagi!

“ _ZIO!”_

Izanagi rushed forward, his blade swarming with lightning while Captain Kidd leveled its cannon. Zorro and Arsene vanished, Morgana and Ren dodged to the side. Captain Kidd’s lightning blast streaked into Izanagi’s sword just as he was bringing it down into Berith’s chest.

There was a blinding flash of light and a boom of thunder. Before Nanako’s eyes could adjust, she knew that the shadow was gone.

Izanagi faded, as did Captain Kidd, which resulted in Ryuji’s skull mask appearing on his face again.

“All right! Let’s go finish off that bastard, Kamoshida!”

He ran forward two strides, then fell to his knees.

“Ryuji, take it easy,” Ren commanded, rushing to his side. “The first transformation takes a lot out of you.”

“Well, well. Looks like you’re not going to be as useless as I thought, Morgana said smugly, his tiny arms crossed.

“Are you okay?” Nanako asked.

“Yeah,” he said, grinning up at her to try and reassure her, though he still looked utterly exhausted.

“We should get out of here. More shadows are on their way,” Morgana said. Ren bent down and helped Ryuji to his feet, bearing his weight on his shoulders. Nanako opened the front door and held it open for the others. They ran out to the edge of the palace, where the world started once again to bend.


	46. 4/13 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako recovers.

Once again, Nanako felt more exhausted than ever. Once they were sure that Ryuji could make it home on his own, they said their goodbyes, and Nanako tumbled herself into one of the female-only train cars and dozed on her way home.

She got up to the apartment, but Yu wasn’t home yet. She wanted to fall into bed again and fall asleep, but she didn’t want to play absolute havoc with her sleep schedule. So instead she found some coffee in the cupboard and brewed it using the electric kettle and a French press.

She sipped it.

Kinda acidy. She went to the fridge, found some cream, and measured a spoonful in.

Mm…now it was too milky.

She tipped out a little bit of the coffee and added just a bit more coffee from the French press.

Sip.

Eh, it was okay. Nanako was pretty picky with her coffee ever since mom had brought with her a passion for creating her own coffee blends. Dad went from drinking whatever sludge they had at the station to bringing a full thermos from home every day. Her parents were fond of her drinking much coffee, but when she was able to sneak some in, it was a delectable balance that mom had carefully crafted over years of experimentation and use of single source beans.

Yu had a bag from Crawbucks.

Well, she would have to tell him to buy better coffee in the future. For now, she took the mug back to her desk in her room. She drank, listened to music, and zipped through her studying. The coffee took the edge off of her exhaustion and she managed to finish her studies.

“I’m home,” Yu called out. It was 8:30. “Sorry I’m late. I won’t make a habit of it. Did you eat?”

“I’m not very hungry,” Nanako said.

“Huh, well what am I going to do with these extra croquettes?”

“…Maybe I’ll have a little bit.”

Nanako hadn’t felt hungry, but her body disagreed. She ate ravenously. The exertion from going to the palace was catching up with her. If she was going to keep this up, she was going to have to make sure she ate properly and regularly.

“We really need to start buying some ingredients and eating properly. I don’t mind cooking,” Nanako said.

“You’re right,” Yu said with a smile. “We’ll make a list for this weekend and go shopping.”

“And you need some proper coffee.”

“You drink coffee?”

“Sometimes. But what you have isn’t coffee. It’s corporate swill.”

Yu laughed. “I didn’t know you had such strong coffee opinions.”

“Well, mom really likes the locally sourced stuff. I mean…Crawbucks, really?”

“It was convenient,” Yu said with a shrug. “I don’t drink a lot of coffee.”

“Yeah, well, Crawbucks is a subsidiary of Okumura Foods, which owns things like Big Bang Burger and GoNuts Donuts. Their food sourcing is questionable and their employee practices are borderline inhumane. I’m surprised the Diet hasn’t decided to take more extreme action against them,” Nanako said.

“Still the little avatar of justice…” Yu said, chewing. Nanako looked up.

“Why would you say Justice?”

“Huh? Well that’s what you’re talking about, isn’t it? Justice for the planet, justice for the workers.”

“Yeah, I guess…” Nanako said. There was no doubt about it, he used the word for a reason - Margaret had called her the same thing. But she was too tired to figure out how to corner him in the phrasing. Maybe if she had more guts.

They finished dinner and sat down to watch a little TV. Then Nanako went to take a bath, and fall into bed.

_Pi pi pi._

She picked up the phone and looked at it while she lay in bed.

RYUJI: Hey, Nanako! Ren gave me your contact info. I just wanted to say thanks for having my back today.

NANAKO: You’re welcome.

RYUJI: These powers are something else, huh? I wonder if we can really stop Kamoshida.

NANAKO: I’m worried. I don’t want to kill him.

RYUJI: Yeah, I guess I don’t either. I hate that bastard, but I don’t want to go to jail over him.

NANAKO: Is what he said in that palace true? About what he did?

RYUJI: Sorta. It’s a long story.

NANAKO: I’d like to hear it someday, when you’re ready.

RYUJI: Yeah. Okay. Maybe.

RYUJI: Hey, let’s meet on the roof tomorrow, okay? We have a lot to talk about.

NANAKO: See you there.

On impulse, Nanako texted Ren.

NANAKO: You okay? You were pretty hurt.

REN: I’m fine. Morgana’s spell healed it all up. Not a mark out of place.

NANAKO: That’s convenient. He’s quite skilled in that world. I wonder where he goes.

REN: I’m sure we’ll see him again.

Nanako thought over her next text carefully.

NANAKO: If you’re not busy, do you want to check out Shibuya on Saturday? After school? I haven’t had much time to look around yet.

There was a pause. A very, very, long pause.

REN: Sure.

NANAKO: Okay. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.

REN: Good night.

She shut off her phone and snuggled into her pillow.

She wondered how long it would take for her to stop blushing.


	47. 4/13 - ????

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How to use the Compendium.

“You found the Compendium.”

Nanako sat straight up. She was back in the strange prison, still in her pajamas. The Compendium Personae sat in her lap.

“I did…and I think I figured out how to use it. I was able to use another Persona. The Hierophant?” Nanako asked.

“Anzu, of the Hierophant Arcana. As I told you, the bonds that you make are the source of your power. When you forge new relationships, the different Arcana become open to you. The stronger those relationships get, the more powerful Persona you will be able to summon from the Compendium,” Margaret said. Her yellow eyes seemed to glow from the shadows of her cell.

“The hierophant…is that Yu?” Nanako asked.

“Yes.”

“So then I should be able to summon very powerful persona within the Hierophant arcana, right? Our relationship is strong,” Nanako said.

“Is it?”

The question stabbed into Nanako deeper and more painful than any weapon could. The truth was, she wasn’t sure anymore. Sure, they loved each other, and Yu would do anything to keep her safe. Including keeping the truth of her past from her. That hurt a lot more than she expected. And it had put a strange distance between them.

“Don’t worry. Bonds can be reforged and made even stronger than before. The Compendium will grow stronger with you. Study it, absorb its knowledge, and you might even be as strong as me,” Margaret said.

“Wait…you can use this?”

“I can. As an attendant, it is my duty to study and fuse the personas. Once a Compendium is complete, I have access to its full power,” Margaret said.

“Well, maybe you should use it-” Nanako said, holding the Compendium out towards her.

_“No!”_

Margaret threw herself to the back of the cell. Nanako recoiled, hugging the Compendium to her chest.

“No. No, you musn’t. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you…but you musn’t offer that to me. And you must not let it come within my reach,” Margaret said. Her voice, usually so cool and even, was desperate and frightened.

“Why?”

“If you offered it to me, I would take it. I would use the full power of the Compendium to break myself out of here and try to beat the game myself. But it wouldn’t work. I know, deep down, that I don’t have the strength to defeat the cause of all this. That wouldn’t stop me from trying,” Maragaret said.

“Okay. I think I understand,” Nanako said, sliding the Compendium behind her back. “Can you tell me more about what’s going on? What is this game that’s being played?”

“We have to be careful. The two of us meeting at all is a great risk, and we can’t draw too much attention to ourselves. The more that I tell you, the more that this place will start to notice, and then I won’t be able to contact you any more. Let’s just say that you’re a secret player in this game and by borrowing Yu’s Compendium, you’re going to tip the balance in the favor of humanity.”

“Like…the entire human race? That seems…daunting.”

“And difficult to believe, I know,” Margaret said. “It will make more sense in time. Trust the journey…and for now, you should go. Be well, Fool of Justice.”

Nanako woke up.

=====

SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
The Fool: Margaret  
Level 2


	48. 4/14 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako and Ryuji walk to school.

Nanako had two cups of bad coffee at home, and still she felt like she needed one on her way from school. She allowed herself a small one, since she was worried the tidal wave of caffeine was going to hit all at once and make her jittery. She waited for it to cool as she rode the train.

Was it always going to feel so exhausting to use her Persona?

She wondered how Yu managed to do it. Maybe that was why he always ate strange leftovers from the refrigerator way back when.

She got off the station and saw a familiar figure slumped on a bench, dozing. Nanako walked up to him and nudged his leg with her foot.

“Hey, Ryuji.”

He sat up, startled. “Ah, what the crap!? Oh, Nanako. Shoot, did I fall asleep? Am I late?”

“You’re fine,” Nankao said with a smile. “Walk with me and you’ll be on time…and here, you need this more than I do.”

Nanako handed him the coffee. He took a sip, then his face contorted into strange shapes.

“Blech, what did you put in this!?”

“Nothing, I drink it black.”

“You’re stronger than I am,” he said. He handed her the coffee back. She wiped the opening, thought about whether she wanted to drink it still, and decided to throw it out. They walked towards school.

“It’s exhausting, isn’t it?” she said.

“Yeah, way more than I thought…you and Ren must be something else.”

“I’m exhausted too,” she said. “We’ll get used to it though, you know? It’s mostly a mental strain. The more you practice, the better you get. Like studying.”

“Ha, I’m shit at studying, so it better not be like that,” Ryuji said with a grin. “But…yeah, I think I know what you mean. It’s like when I first started running and I could barely make it around the first lap. Then after a while I did the first lap without thinking about it.”

Their footsteps fill the air. Nanako moves a little bit closer to Ryuji as other Shujin students start to appear - not close enough to imply anything, but just to get a little bit more privacy.

“Hey…is it true what you said in there? About the pipe? Did he really…?”

“Yeah. Last year the school fixing some plumbing out by the field. That’s where I took my swing at Kamoshida. He ducked under it, grabbed the pipe, and…well…”

He gestures at one leg.

“There’s a nasty scar there. Probably be there the rest of my life.”

“And they still called it self-defense? No offense, but he’s much bigger than you, he didn’t need a _pipe_.”

“Yeah. I was even smaller last year, believe it or not. But, Kamoshida is too important to the school. And I’m nothing.”

“You’re not nothing,” Nanako insisted. “And…I’m sorry that happened to you. It’s not right.”

Ryuji looked at her for a long moment.

“I think you’re the first person who has ever said that to me, other than my mom.”

“She sounds like a very wise woman,” Nanako said.

“Yeah, she’s all right…hey, you said that we would get used to our Personas…does that mean you’re going to go back?”

“Of course. I don’t know how, but there has to be a way to use it to stop Kamoshida. We can find a way, if we try hard enough.”

“Well, looks like you were born under a lucky star. Because I know exactly how to use it.”

Nanako and Ryuji stopped dead in their tracks. They were standing next to a small area with a vending machine, a bench, and a garbage can. Out from behind the garbage can strode a black cat.

“Morgana?” Nanako called out. The cat bowed its head.

“Nice to see you again, Nanako.”

“Holy crap, the cat talked!” Ryuji said.

“I’m not a cat!”

“You _look like a cat_ ,” Ryuji said, gesturing with both arms.

“Yeah, well, that’s just because that’s how I look in the real world, okay? Once I’m transformed back to a human, it’ll all be normal. For now, I’m stuck like this. Look, that’s not important. I know how to use the palace to change this Kamoshida guy.”

“For real? Then tell us.”

“Later,” Nanako said. “We’re going to be late. Morgana, can you meet us on the roof after school?”

“Aha, a secret rendezvous. I’ll be there.”

Morgana leapt back behind the garbage can. Nanako turned and started walking at a quick pace.

“Let’s go, Ryuji!” Nanako called back.

Ryuji grinned and jogged to catch up.

=====

SOCIAL LINK RANK UP   
The Emperor: Ryuji  
Level 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody! Sorry for the delay in updates, I also write novels and I needed to focus in for a week and get something done. But we're back on track now! 
> 
> I've been doing a lot of persona research and I came across some YouTube videos by LadyVirgilia that are really interesting! They talk about the Japanese social and cultural contexts for Persona 5 and why some things are such a big deal. I've been learning a lot, and I kinda wish I had watched these ahead of time, but it's still cool, so check it out if you like to nerd out about that kind of stuff like I do. 
> 
> Also thanks to everyone for their comments. I read each and every one, and they mean a lot to me. I try to reply to as many as I can, but I usually don't reply to theories about where the story is going next because I have a terrible poker face and I don't want to hint at anything one way or another.
> 
> Hope you all have a great day!


	49. 4/14 - Lunchtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako gets a gift.

“Dojima! There you are!”

Nanako stopped and spun around.

“Satoichi Sano, Class 2-A,” Nanako recited, crossing her arms. He had a big broad smile.

“How’s it going, Dojima-san?”

“Not bad, Sano-kun. You?”

“Ah, just excited to see if I got it right. You still have that big old book?” Sano asked. Nanako nodded, the Compendium was still in her school bag, taking up way too much room. She hadn’t managed to fix the strap either, so she had to buy a new one this aftenroon.

“Yes, why?”

“Get it out,” he said.

It was the lunch break, and Sano had caught her in the middle of the courtyard on the way to the vending machines. Nanako walked over to an empty table and set her bag on it, pulling the Compendium out, though she kept her hands over the title.

“Here it is! Lay it down over here.”

Sano set down leather straps on the top of the table. Nanako frowned, but did as she was told, setting the Compendium down exactly where he told her to put it. He then pulled the straps around and clasped the buckles.

“Ha, perfect! Here, now you just put this one over your shoulder.”

Nanako took the strap and did as she was told.

Then she stood up.

The Compendium hung at her hip like a messenger bag, the leather straps holding it in place perfectly, like some sort of fantasy wizard’s magical tome. It was surprisingly comfortable, considering the weight of the Compendium.

“You just pull that snap there if you want to open the book while you’re carrying it,” Sano said. Nanako did so - it fell open perfectly in her hand. When she let the Compendium go it fell to her side and closed by itself - all she had to do was push the snap back into place.

“This is amazing!…what is it?”

“It’s a book strap. Kind of a peculiar old thing that most people don’t use anymore. I’ve wanted to make one forever, but never had an excuse to do it. But when I saw your interesting old book yesterday, I knew that I had finally found the perfect recipient for a book strap.”

“You made this?”

“Yeah. My family has a leatherwork shop, and someday I’m going to take it over and be the greatest leatherworker in the world,” Sano said, setting his hands on his hips in pride.

Nanako took a closer look at the leather straps. It was beautiful leather, with fine details in the stitching, and the buckles and snaps meticulously placed. There was a little symbol on the brass snap, the mark of Sano’s family business.It smelled like new leather too, which she loved because it reminded her of her dad.

“It’s beautiful. How much do I owe you?”

“Oh, no charge. It’s not like you asked for it or anything,” Sano said.

“What? No way. I insist, you can’t just make a beautiful thing like this and give it away to someone you hardly know. You won’t stay in business very long if that’s how you run things,” Nanako said. Sano laughed.

“Ah, I guess you’re right. Still, I wanted to make it. It matches your book. Let’s just call it welcome to Shujin. You’re a transfer student, right? That will work.”

Nanako sighed, but it was an amazing strap. This was going to make heading into the palace that much easier.

“Okay, I will accept this under one condition. At some point, you will need my help with something, and you will allow me to repay that favor.”

He shrugged. “Okay, that’s fine. I could always use more friends.”

“Is that what we are?”

“Why not?”

“You don’t know me that well,” Nanako said. He shrugged again.

“I just kinda do things, Dojima-san. I don’t think too hard, that’s how I get myself into trouble.”

Nanako laughed.

“Okay, Sano-kun. I guess we’re friends then. I gotta get my lunch now.”

“Have a good one!”

Nanako sighed and looked at the Compendium. She felt totally badass with this thing on.

=====

SOCIAL LINK RANK UP   
Strength: Sano  
Level 1


	50. 4/14 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A team is formed.

“Hey,” Nanako whispered. Ren leaned back.

“What?”

“Roof. After school. Morgana wants to talk to us.”

“Morgana?”

“Amamiya! Dojima! Quiet down!” The teacher coiled up his arm, readying to throw his chalk.

“Apologies, sensei!” Nanako said. “Won’t happen again.”

This was enough to calm the teacher down, who went on with his lecture.

Class ended. Ren and Nanako walked into the hall together where they spotted Ryuji waiting by the stairs. He gave them a nod, then headed up the stairs before the two of them. Soon, they were on the roof.

“What’s this about Morgana?” Ren asked.

“Yeah, he’s coming here now. Nanako and I saw him on the way to school. Oh, and he looks like a cat.”

Nanako wandered over to the garden beds. It looked like someone had done a little work on them since yesterday. Everything seemed nice and healthy.

Nanako patted a plant on the head. “Good carrot. Keep growing.”

“Ah, there you all are.”

The black cat shape of Morgana sprung from the sky and landed on a discarded table.

“Huh. He really is in cat form,” Ren said.

“Hey, how come you don’t yell at him for calling you a cat?” Ryuji asked.

“Because he said I was in cat _form_. I swear, do we really need this guy?” Morgana asked, nudging his adorable furry face towards Ryuji.

“Yeah, we do,” Ren said. Nanako could see just the smallest of looks shared between the guys, but it was heartwarming. A sort of invisible bro bond was just formed there.

“If you insist,” Morgana sighed. “Let me explain.”

Morgana explained the details he alluded to earlier in the day. The “other world” was called the Metaverse, and the palace was created when someone had strong distorted desires that influenced their reality. Kamoshida saw himself as king of the school, thus a castle. Each palace had a shadow version of the palace creator who ruled over it, and while it represented all the hidden subconscious thoughts and desires of the ruler, it wasn’t the ruler themself: that’s why Kamoshida had no memory of them being inside the palace.

But the palace also held the Treasure, the desires of the person. If they removed those desires, or steal the Treasure, then the desires would fade away as well. This would result in the person confessing their own crimes. Morgana said there was some danger to it, that if they weren’t careful that the desire to do even the basic things: eat, breathe, etc., could be taken away, and the person could die.

Nanako followed it all pretty well. Ryuji and Ren peppered Morgana with questions, but Nanako’s mind was working on a different problem.

Why was she different?

The boys summoned their Personas through their masks, but Nanako used cards, like her big bro had. She could also use several Personas, while the boys could only use one. Lastly, and perhaps the most important question, was the Meta Nav. Both Ren and Ryuji had it on their phones, but when Nanako checked hers, she didn’t have it.

Was it a boy/girl thing?

Or did this have to do with Margaret, specifically? She had said she hadn’t meant to be here, and that she was “cheating.” Did that mean the rules didn’t apply to Nanako?

No, they did. But they seemed to apply to her slightly differently.

“What do you think, Nanako?” Ren asked.

“Hm? Oh, sorry, I was thinking about something else.”

He smiled slyly. “I see, were we boring you?”

“No, not at all! Hey, stop teasing me,” she grumbled.

“We were asking if you wanted in,” Ryuji said. “If there’s a way to change Kamoshida and make him confess his crimes, I want to do it. He’s hurt a lot of people.”

“You want revenge?” Nanako asked. Ryuji winced.

“I mean, it’s a little bit about revenge, but to be honest, I don’t really care about that. I just want people to stop getting hurt.”

“And you, Morgana?”

“We have an arrangement. I help you guys out, you help me with something I’m working on in the Metaverse,” Morgana said.

Nanako looked at Ren.

“I already know your answer,” Nanako said.

“Yeah. And I already know yours,” he said.

They both smiled.

“Okay. I’m in. But there’s a condition,” Nanako said. “What we saw in there isn’t really evidence. It’s how he thinks, right? So we need to make sure those people are actually getting abused before we go in and start messing with his mind.”

“If the cognitions are that strong there’s almost no way that it isn’t happening,” Morgana said. “Having an idle fantasy about doing something isn’t enough to create a palace.”

“It’s still my condition,” Nanako said. “We should be sure. We’re taking justice into our own hands.”

“She’s right,” Ren said.

“Yeah, yeah, fine,” Ryuji grumbled. “I guess I remember the faces of the people we saw in there. We could go around and ask them, do some digging, ya know?”

“Okay. We might be able to find more clues in the palace as well. Should we go in and look around?” Nanako asked.

“I thought you wanted to be sure,” Ren said.

“I do, but doesn’t mean we can’t poke around in there. Nothing really happens unless we grab the Treasure, right?”

Ren narrowed his eyes, examining her.

“Why do you want to go in so badly?”

Nanako felt herself blushing.

“I-I got this cool thing to hold my book and I wanna try it out, okay?!”

Ren laughed.

Ryuji pulled out his phone.

_Beginning navigation._


	51. 4/14 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guns and Codenames

“Oh hey, what’d you end up getting me?” Ryuji asked Ren.

“Oh, right, here you go.”

He handed Ryuji a shotgun.

“What the heck?” Nanako asked.

“What? The last fake gun I got worked well cause of the cognition, right? So why not bring more?” Ryuji asked.

“I got a couple extra, if you want one,” Ren said. He reached into the bag and set out a couple of other handguns. Nanako walked over and examined them.

“Pfft, come on dude, just give her whatever’s the easiest, she’s a girl, what does she know about guns?”

Nanako picked up the semi-automatic and went through the process of checking it with practiced ease and precision. She then held it up in a proper firing stance and looked down the sights. Satisfied, she replaced it on the ground and did the same thing with the other gun - revolver.

“Hm, this is like the New Nambu M60, the standard police sidearm. But I always preferred the SFP 9-M that the Self Defense Force uses. Heftier gun and bigger kickback, but the accuracy is more reliable if you can handle it,” Nanako said with a sweet smile. “You have holsters?”

“No, sorry,” Ren said.

“It’s okay, I have a guy,” Nanako said. “Better skip the gun for today, though. Keep it for me?”

“Sure.”

Ryuji moved closer to Ren.

“She’s scary, dude…”

“Told you, her dad’s a cop.”

“By the way, there’s something else I’ve been thinking about,” Morgana said. “We need code names.”

“Haha, yes, badass!” Ryuji said.

“Why?” Nanako asked.

“Well…it’s true that the Kamoshida in the real world doesn’t know what happens in the palace, but it’s still part of his subconscious. If we keep yelling your real names out there, it might make him suspicious. I’m not sure, but I think it’s better to be cautious.”

“Makes sense,” Nanako said. “I’m in agreement.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll be…Breaker!” Ryuji said.

“No,” Nanako said.

“Lame,” Morgana said.

“Ghost Master?”

“Are you a villain from Neo Featherman?” Ren asked. Nanako laughed.

“Fine, fine, gotta keep it simple, like….Skull,” he said.

“That’ll work,” Ren said.

“Yeah, I like it,” Nanako said. “What about you, Monamona?”

“Mona?” Morgana said, confused. Nanako clasped her hand over her mouth.

“Oh no! Sorry! I…I just thought earlier when you were in your cat form how cute you were, and if you were a real cat, I’d probably name you Mona. I’m sorry!”

“I kinda like it,” Ren said. “It’ll catch the enemy off guard, thinking you’re cute and harmless, when in reality you’re cunning and dangerous.”

Nanako wasn’t sure if Ren believed that or not, but it seemed to do the trick for Morgana. He stood up a little taller.

“Okay, Mona it is. And you, you’ll be Joker.”

“Joker? Isn’t that sort of goofy?” Ryuji, or rather Skull, asked.

“Not at all. The Joker is the wild card in a game. It’s the card that represents the trickster. And someone like our leader here is definitely going to be like that.”

Nanako thought about what Morgana, or rather Mona, was saying. That was a pretty good description of Ren - someone you underestimated, but could surprise you and fill any role at any time.

“It fits,” Nanako said. “What about me?”

“Angel,” Joker said.

“Yeah, definitely,” Skull added.

“No doubt,” said Mona.

“Wait, what? Angel? Why?”

The three boys looked at each other, confused.

“I mean…the wings, right? It’s pretty obvious.” Skull said.

“What wings?”

“When you summon your Persona,” Mona said. “Have you not noticed?”

Nanako frowned, then held out her hand. “Izanagi.”

Instead of looking up at her Persona, she look at herself. Like the others, there was a glow of blue fire around, but there was also something glowing out of her back - the blue outline of a wings. They weren’t exactly angelic in the way she had seen them drawn, with feathers, but it had more of a dragon quality to it. Still, she did get a sense of heaven when she looked upon them.

The Persona faded as Nanako was hit with a wave of dizziness.

_“Persona change - Sraosha!” Yu cried. A being with the same wings appeared above him, while the red demon and the white T-shirt held her tightly._

“Nanako?” Joker asked.

“I’m fine,” she said. The memory faded, as it did before. Why she had the wings of Sraosha behind her, she didn’t know, but it seemed like it would be important. Something she would have to ask Margaret.

“Angel is fine,” Nanako said.

“Great. And we’re all disguised so….well…” Skull motioned at Nanako. “You’re not.”

“Yeah, I wonder why,” Nanako asked. Mona shook his head.

“I haven’t been able to figure it out either. But at the very least, you should wear something other than your school uniform next time.”

“Right, that’s fine. I’ll be prepared.”

Joker strode to their infiltration point.

“It’s showtime!”

***

They pushed into the palace a bit deeper this time.

They were cornered in a banquet hall, with a half dozen shadows covering the exits. There was no other choice than to fight their way through.

“Captain Kidd!” Skull yelled. The Pirate Persona appeared and crashed its hull into the neck of a knight, pressing it hard against the stone wall. With its prey pinned, Captain Kidd pointed his arm cannon and released a long jolt of lightning.

“Behind you!” Nanako cried out. She jumped onto the long banquet table and charged down the length of it. A little tree sprite was prancing its way towards Skull, magic gathering around its body. Nanako managed to get within striking range.

She grabbed the book strap.

It was long enough so that she could spin herself, gather up a lot of speed and power, and then swing the Compendium into a Shadow. The first time she had done it, she had worried about damaging the book. But the Compendium was obviously not a normal book, and no matter how many times she beat a Shadow with it, it was unaffected.

A strange weapon, but it would do.

The sprite stumbled back. While it was disoriented, Skull spun around, leveled his shotgun, and fired. The shadow melted.

“Thanks, Angel.”

“You got it, Skull.”

The code names were still taking some getting used to. Especially Nanako’s. Every time one of the boys said it, it sounded like a pet name. Especially when Ren called it out.

“Angel, Skull, to your side!” Joker yelled. They both turned to look and saw a Pixie hurtling straight at them. Nanako unsnapped the Compendium and flipped the pages with one hand.

“Anzur, come forth!”

Izanagi’s card went into the Compendium and Anzur’s came back. She squeezed it immediately, summoning the flying beast.

“Garu!”

Anzur released the wind, but not at Pixie. Instead, she had targeted it just below herself and Skull. The green energy swirled upward in a spiral, carrying them up to the ceiling. There was a chandelier up there made of iron bars and candles, and more than sturdy enough to carry their weight. Both she and Skull grabbed it and watched as Pixie missed her attack.

“Nice move,” Skull said. “But a little warning might be nice next time!”

“You gotta keep up, Skull,” she said with a wink.

Pixie’s attention was drawn up, watching Nanako and Skull at the ceiling, which was a mistake. Joker slipped beneath her and performed a backflip kick, connecting into the base of her chin. Nanako didn’t even know Joker could _do_ a backflip kick, but there it was. Pixie lost her control and crashed to the table.

Joker drew his gun and stood over her. Nanako and Skull summoned their Personas and used them to lower themselves to the ground.

“Yes, this is what I was talking about,” Mona said. “The shadows themselves have their own mind. Now we can press her for money, useful items, or information.”

“Please, don’t kill me!” Pixie said, kneeling on the ground, her face in her hands.

“Be careful with what you say. If you get her riled up, she’ll go in for a last ditch attack,” Mona explained.

“We need what you know about the palace,” Joker commanded.

“Like I would tell you that,” Pixie said, spitefully. “I don’t like being told what to do.”

“Neither do I,” Joker remarked.

“Really? Huh,” Pixie said. “Wait a second…I remember now…I’m not a shadow…”

“Wait, what?!” Mona said.

“I am thou. Thou art I,” Pixie said.

And then the impossible happen.

She transformed into a glowing version of Joker’s mask, and then merged with the mask on his face.

“No way…did that Shadow just become your Persona?” Skull asked.

“No. Added to,” Nanako said. “Right?”

Joker shut his eyes, as if concentrating.

“Yeah…I can feel it…a different power. But I still feel Arsene, too.”

“No way. This is amazing. I found three strong Persona users, and two of them can wield multiple Personas! I really am incredible,” Mona said, proud of himself.

“All right! Now Kamoshida really has no chance! Come on let’s go kick some more…oof…”

Skull leaned against the table.

“We shouldn’t push it,” Nanako said. “We’ve gotten further this time than before, but Skull isn’t used to his power yet.”

“I agree. We should head out,” Joker said.


	52. 4/14 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans for the next day.

The most nerve-wracking part of the evening was arriving home.

Yu had gotten home before her, the first time since she’d moved in. He was pleasant and smiling and curious about how things were going at school, and immediately gave her the money to buy a new school bag when he realized that the strap on hers was broken.

He’d stood there, fiddling with the straps, wondering if he could fix it, all the while the Compendium and a gun were inside it.

Well, not a real gun, of course, but it looked surprisingly real and it wouldn’t be a great start to that conversation.

But he didn’t open the bag, and she had managed to skim by. They ate, they watched a little TV, and now Nanako was finishing her studying for the day.

 _Pi pi pi_.

 **RYUJI:** Man I’m so beat. I don’t think I’ve been this tired in forever.

 **NANAKO:** We will need to pace ourselves in the future. We have time to work on Kamoshida, so let’s use the palace to train.

 **REN:** Morgana says he has a different idea for that.

 **NANAKO:** He’s with you?

 **REN:** He’s decided to stay with me for now.

Nanako found herself a little disappointed in that. It made sense that Morgana would need to stay close to the team if they were going to keep working together, but she kinda hoped that he’d want to live with her. She liked cats…

 **RYUJI:** That’s convenient, can we go tomorrow?

 **REN:** I’ve been thinking about our need for evidence, though. Tomorrow’s the volleyball tournament, a good chance to ask around, right?

 **RYUJI:** Oh, right. Forgot about that. Yeah, you and I will ask around.

 **NANAKO:** I can help too.

 **REN:** No. You have an “in” don’t you? You tried out for the team. Tomorrow would be a good chance to talk to some of the people you know.

Nanako thought about that. She didn’t really “know” anyone, and other than Kamoshida himself, nobody had encouraged her to join the team. But, playing volleyball would be pretty motivating and inspiring to some people, so it wouldn’t be out of place for her to do that.

She wondered if this was still Ren secretly trying to protect her by keeping them dissociated. It was hard to know. Using her already established relationship to the team made sense and was a good move, but it also conveniently meant that she wouldn’t be seen with him at school.

It was probably both. An elegant solution that got everything he wanted all at once and didn’t give Nanako a lot of room to argue.

Or maybe he wasn’t thinking about her at all.

 **NANAKO:** Okay. I don’t really know anybody that well, but I’ll give it my best shot.

 **RYUJI:** All right! Getting closer and closer! Let’s meet up after school on the roof.

 **NANAKO:** See you then.

 **REN:** Good night.

Nanako set her phone down. Just then, there was a small tap on her door.

“You got a minute?” Yu called through the door. Nanako looked around to make sure the gun and Compendium were safely put away, then answered that he could come in.

“Hey. I uh…I should’ve asked this before, but I didn’t want to pry. How did things go with your friend?”

“Oh. Um.” Nanako suddenly felt embarrassed.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. Just wanted to make sure you knew you could, if you wanted.”

“Thanks, big bro. It’s going…surprisingly well? It’s hard to explain. It wasn’t what I imagined, but it’s been…interesting.”

Yu smiled. “That’s good. I’m glad for you.”

“Yeah.”

He stood there. She sat there.

“Was there something else?” Nanako asked. It seemed like Yu had something specific he wanted to talk about. Was it about the other day?

“No. No, no, that’s it. Good night.”

“Night,” she said to him.


	53. 4/14 - ???

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako asks questions.

Nanako became aware of the prison cell and sat up.

“Oh good, I had questions!” she said. The Compendium and its strap had materialized with her in this strange world, settled perfectly on her shoulders. Margaret looked amused.

“Well, our connection goes both ways. It doesn’t surprise me you willed yourself here.”

“The Compendium seems unusually sturdy,” she said. Nanako knelt a good distance away from Margaret and her cell, but slipped the strap around so it would settle on her lap.

“Yes, it has special properties. It’s not supposed to leave the Velvet Room. It behaves differently both in the real world and the world between dreams and reality.”

“So I can’t break it?”

“It’s very unlikely…why do you ask?”

Nanako wondered if she should tell Margaret she was using her gift as a blunt battering instrument. She decided against it.

“Just wanted to make sure. The other thing strange about it is that…people don’t seem to notice it.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, the person that made this strap, for example. He saw the Compendium, held it, measured it. He even matched some of the decorative aspects of it to match the Compendium’s cover. But he never asked about what it was. Ryuji and Morgana have noticed me using the Compendium and summoning Personas out of it, and they’ve commented that my power is different, but they never ask more than that.”

“Again, special properties. Though many can wield the power of the Persona, only a rare few have the trait of being a Wild Card, a person who can wield multiple personas. The Compendium is a tool meant to aid the Wild Card, and as such, it makes itself unimportant in the eyes of others. As you say, they acknowledge it, but it just seems to slip their mind.”

“What about my bro?”

“He’s a Wild Card, so he’ll see it. I take it you didn’t ask his permission to borrow it?”

“It’s…complicated,” Nanako said. Margaret nodded. “Will Ren see it?”

“If he is a Wild Card, then yes. Don’t tell me if he is or not. The less I know, the better.”

“I understand,” Nanako said. “I don’t suppose you could explain why my power is different? Or what it is I’m meant to do?”

“The Journey of the Fool is a journey. I can guide you, but I cannot instruct you.”

“Can not, or will not?” Nanako asked. Margaret smiled.

“Both. But don’t worry, I am on your side. We need to win.”

Nanako stood, her questions answered. She was about to reach up towards the ceiling and head back to reality, when one more idea struck her.

“Margaret…why did my big bro have the Compendium if it’s not supposed to leave the Velvet Room?”

Margaret’s smile changed from cunning to nostalgic, maybe even a bit embarrassed.

“A selfish desire to be remembered,” she said. “But that’s a story for another time. Good luck, Nanako.”

Nanako woke up.


	54. 4/15 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako talks to Shiho.

Nanako did okay at the volleyball tournament. Okay enough that her excuse of being “interested in volleyball” wouldn’t be that far-fetched.

Still, she was nervous.

She supposed she could talk to anyone on the volleyball team, but there was really only one effective, logical choice. If anyone knew anything about Kamoshida and abuse, it would be Shiho Suzui, the star player. The one that hated her.

And…perhaps the one that would defend Kamoshida at all costs.

But Nanako could feel it in her gut. This was the right move, even though it was the one move she didn’t want to make. She wasn’t sure why she was so intimidated by her - it’s not like Suzui went out of her way to find Nanako and bully her. She had just terrorized her once on a volleyball court, and that was it.

Since then, Nanako had fallen into another dimension, awakened a Persona, and literally battled for her life.

So why did this stress her out?

It was an interesting question, and she felt like if she could find the answer, she might learn something about herself. But now wasn’t the time. She had to face this challenge head on. For Ren’s sake. No, for the sake of the whole team.

“Hi, Suzui-san,” Nanako said. Nanako had managed to catch her at the vending machine courtyard just as she was entering it, hoping that it would be a good place to have a private conversation. Maybe if there wasn’t anyone around to watch she wouldn’t feel bully her.

Except, Nanako had calculated wrong. There was someone already sitting on the bench - Takamaki. She looked up form her phone, a little surprised. She said nothing, just watched.

“What do you want?” Suzui asked.

“Ah, I just wanted to know your thoughts on the volleyball team,” Nanako said. “I had a lot of fun today at the tournament, and I know that I’m not very good, but I’d still like to be part of it. Even if I don’t get to play in any games, I still need a club for my applications, you know? Do you think the team would-”

“No,” she said shortly. “Goodbye.”

Suzui sat down next to Takamaki and made a deliberate effort to turn away from Nanako and only face her. Nanako frowned.

“You didn’t hear my question,” Nanako pointed out.

“It’s just a no, dear. Whatever it is you think you can get out of this team, out of me, out of this school, it’s no. You can’t cut it, so give up.” Suzui’s words spat out like hot acid and were quickly melting away the guards around Nanako’s heart. She tried to focus on the task at hand, on Kamoshida.

“Shiho…?” Takamki said, looking a little confused.

“Sorry Ann, one second.” Suzui turned back to Nanako. “Look. This team is amazing. It goes places, and it’s my ticket into a good university. Having someone like you on it is going to drag us down. I told you all of this before. Now give it up.”

“Kamoshida-sensei said he would give me personal training in order to catch up. Surely if he’s offering that then I must not be that hopeless, right?”

That was the right move. Nanako watched as Suzui’s face contorted into a stricken panic. It took her a moment to shape her face back into a placid stare.

“He said that to you?”

“Yes. Twice, actually. I was thinking of taking him up on it.”

“Well, don’t. He’s just being nice.”

“You can’t really stop me though, can you?”

“Can’t I?” Suzui stood up abruptly and got right in Nanako’s face. “Cause you won’t be able to play volleyball with a broken hand.”

“Shiho!” Takamaki called out.

“You’re nothing special, Dojima.”

Nanako wanted to stand there and take it - to be cool and arrogant and unphased by the threat. But she couldn’t. Whatever nerve she had summoned up was gone now. Nanako instead looked at the ground, focusing on holding back tears.

“R-right. You’re right. I’m sorry. I won’t bother you again.”

She turned and ran.


	55. 4/15 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rooftop Meeting.

“Wow, I didn’t know Suzui had that in her,” Ryuji said.

School was over and the team was gathered on the roof. After the boys told her about their adventures, Nanako told them about her conversation with Suzui.

“What do you mean?” Nanako asked.

“Well, it’s not like I know Suzui that well or anything, but we did go to middle school together. She always seemed really nice and pleasant. Guess Kamoshida’s ways have started to taint her,” Ryuji said.

“Are you sure about that?” Ren asked.

“What do you mean? It makes sense, she’s his number one star, of course she’s going to protect him. Hell, it wouldn’t surprise me if she did some of the abusing herself,” Ryuji said.

“You just said she was a nice girl,” Morgana pointed out.

“Yeah, _was_. Maybe Kamoshida really messed her up, you know?”

“I don’t think so,” Nanako said. “I think…maybe she’s trying to protect _me_.”

“Eh? How’s that work?” Ryuji said.

“If there is abuse going on, the best way to protect me from it is to stay off the team, right? Maybe she’s trying to scare me away. It would explain the look she gave me when I said that Kamoshida had invited me for personal trainig,” I said.

“I think you’re onto something,” Ren said. “Do you feel like there’s enough evidence now?”

Nanako thought about this. Ren was pointing out, in an oblique way, that it was she who was demanding the evidence and holding up their operation on Kamoshida. Nanako wouldn’t move forward without probable cause. Then again, she didn’t have the Meta-Nav, which meant that they didn’t _need_ her to agree. If they went in without her, she couldn’t stop them. And who would she tell? The police? What would she tell them, that Ren and Ryuji had an app that let them go into Kamoshida’s mind? And that a talking cat helped them?

He was asking because he wanted her to go with them. And he didn’t want her to be uncomfortable about the choice. The thought made her feel a little warm inside.

“We have some physical evidence of the abuse, and some really odd behavior from the club members. We have Kamoshida actively trying to recruit me, even though I’m a below average volleyball player. And we have what we’ve seen in the Metaverse. It’s not like that’s admissible in court, but technically what we want to do is outside of the law anyway. I feel like if we don’t do something…something bad could happen. Really bad. So I’m in.”

“All right! Tomorrow, then?” Ryuji asked.

“Yeah. Tomorrow. I need to get home. The place I’m staying is keeping a tight watch on me,” Ren said.

“Right, see ya then.”

Morgana leapt into Ren’s bag and he strode off of the rooftop with Ryuji not far behind.

Nanako stayed on the roof.

Where was Ren staying, anyway? He had said with a friend of his family, but what was his living situation like? Were they treating him well, or like some sort of convict because of his criminal record?

What did he really think of her? That’s what it all came to, didn’t it?

Nanako didn’t want to go home yet. There were too many feelings and thoughts swirling around inside of her. None of them had a good shape or form or purpose to them, and if she went home with her mind and heart this muddled, she’d just numb it. She’d eat. Watch TV. Talk to Yu. Study. Sleep. And then it’d all be swallowed up, bottled away somewhere inside of her.

And then it would come back and try to crack through at the worst time, like when she was talking to Suzui.

She walked around the rooftop a bit, hoping that movement would make her feel better. She saw the planters, and noticed that a little watering needed to be done, and some dead leaves cleaned off of the tomato vines. She looked around for some gloves, then started to work.

She wasn’t sure how long she was gardening before she heard the doors open.

“Oh! So you’re the one who’s been working on the garden!”

Nanako hopped to her feet with a yelp, spinning around. Standing at the door was a girl in a Shujin PE uniform. She had fun, floofy hair and a kind voice, and had a “3” on her uniform, indicating that she was a third year.

“A-ah, yes! I’m sorry senpai, I didn’t know this was yours. I promise, I won’t touch it again.”

“No, no, that’s not it at all! I’m actually glad. I’ve been very busy lately, and I haven’t had as much time to care for the garden. I actually was worried that the seedlings I brought up were going to die, but then I came up and saw they were already planted. Did you do that, too?”

“Yes,” Nanako said.

“You did a great job. I really appreciate it, you saved them.”

“Oh. Well, you’re welcome, senpai. My name is Dojima. Dojima Nanako.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Nanako-chan. I’m…” the girl paused. “Haru.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Haru-senpai. Just um…Haru? No family name?”

“I’d rather you just call me Haru,” she said with a bright smile. “If you’re not busy, would you like to help out a little more?”

“Yes, I’d like that a lot,” Nanako said.

The two worked diligently. One of the planters had completely died out and needed to be restarted. They dug the soil out and placed it in buckets and put new soil in. Then they aerated it.

“I haven’t picked out what to plant here yet, so that’s enough for today. Do you have any favorites, Nanako-chan?”

“Oh. Um. Not really. I’m not much of a gardener.”

“That’s not true at all, you’re quite good. You’ve never gardened before?”

“Just a little one back home,” Nanako said. “We used to grow some food on a patch of land next to my house.”

“Oh, so you must be a transfer student, I wondered why I didn’t recognize you. Where are you from originally, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Inaba,” Nanako said. Haru smiled.

“I’ve been there! I stayed at this place called the Amagi Inn, do you know it?”

“Yes, I know the manager, actually. She’s a good family friend.”

“Wow, what a small world,” Haru said.

“It’s more that Inaba is a pretty small town. I think I know almost everyone there,” Nanako said. Haru sighed dreamily.

“That sounds sort of nice, actually…”

She stared at her garden, thinking. Nanako realized then that she felt a lot better about before. Not that she had really had any answers, but somehow working on the garden had given her some structure and order to her heart.

“Haru-senpai…do you think I could help out again sometime?”

“Really? That would be great! I would heartily welcome a new member to the Gardening Club.”

“Oh, it’s a whole club?”

“Well, technically yes. But I’m the only member,” Haru said with a laugh. “I guess that makes you vice-president, Nana-chan.”

Nanako jolted at the sound of the word. Haru looked concerned.

“Oh, I’m sorry, do you not like that nickname?”

“No, no, it’s fine. I have a friend who calls me that, but I haven’t seen him in a while. But it’s a nice name, if you really want to call me that.”

“Okay, then Nana-chan it is. I hope that we’ll be good friends too,” Haru said.

“I could use a friend,” Nanako admitted, surprised at her honesty.

They exchanged contact information, and Nanako left Haru to clean up.

====

 **SOCIAL LINK RANK UP**  
Hermit: Haru  
Level 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm giving Haru some sweet sweet screentime.


	56. 4/15 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Working on those stats.

That evening, Nanako and Yu made a list for shopping for Sunday, then ate dinner. After, Yu went into his home office to do some work, leaving Nanako to herself. Tired of studying, she decided to watch a little TV. There were two shows she was interested in. The first was “Young Life”, a fashion show that talked about the latest fashion trends and how to get attention. Nanako felt like she could learn to be a bit more charming if she watched it. The other was the new episode of Phoenix Ranger Featherman, which she felt would inspire her guts.

She selected her choice with the remote.

“No matter what you say to us, the fire in our souls can’t be extinguished!”

“If you put it out with despair, we’ll rise up from the ashes!”

“Blazing a path in the sky to inspire the youth of tomorrow - that is our way!”

“Ultimate Combination Form: Rainbow Phoenix Crusader!”

Nanako went to bed feeling a little gutsier than before.


	57. 4/15 - Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dream.

“I’ll save her…just like the rest!”

“Let her go!” Yu yelled.

“I’m a hero…I’m a night in shining armor!”

Shadow energy rushed in around her.

“Big bro…I can’t breathe…!”

“Nanako! I won’t this guy hurt you, I promise!”

Nanako felt herself rise into the air, now firmly in the grasp of the red demon. His hand was made of shadows, and she felt the same ichor-like sensation from its “skin” that she did when she struck the shadows in Kamoshida’s palace.

Kamoshida? Who was…?

No. This wasn’t Kamoshida. This was Namatame.

Where…?

Nanako tried to focus. This felt important, and she needed to watch it carefully.

“Don’t rush in!” Naoto called. Nanako looked down, watching as Yu charged ahead, sword in hand. Namatame raised his other hand and blasts of flame tornado towards Yu. The blasts impact the ground, and the world is filled with heat and smoke.

“Bro!” Yosuke yelled.

But Nanako wasn’t afraid. She could see the eyes glowing through the smoke - a Persona of a man whose limbs and head ended in flames.

Saturnus. She didn’t know how, but Nanako knew the name.

Namatame extended his power again, and a strange circle appeared above Yu’s head - a circle similar to the one floating behind Namatame’s shadow form. Yu suddenly stopped his charge and turned around.

“Bro, what’s going on!?” Yosuke called out, charging to keep up with him.

“No…Yosuke…guys, run!”

Saturnus erupted a massive blast of fire. Yukiko yelled, rushing forward with fan in hand. She skid right in front of Yosuke and made a slicing motion with the fan.

“Konohana Sakuya!”

The beautiful phoenix woman appeared, spreading its wings. It flourished the wings, gathering up the fire aimed at Yosuke and drawing it into its chest, absorbing it.

“Thanks,” Yosuke called over.

“Senpai, what the hell are you doing!?” Kanji yelled. The massive form of Take-Mikazuchi charged with powerful, lumbering steps, its lightning bolt weapon brandished above his head.

Yu released Saturnus and immediately snapped another card that appeared from nowhere: Arahabaki. The pot-like Persona simply stood and summoned a protective barrier. Take-Mikazuchi slammed its lightning bolt against it, blow after blow, but couldn’t break through. Kanji winced and retreated.

“He’s controlling senpai somehow!” Rise called out.

Nanako shut her eyes.

Then she opened them.

The battlefield was gone. Big bro, his friends, Namtame, they were all gone. When Nanako stood up, she was tall again - no longer the little girl.

Someone stood in front of her.

It was her as a child. She was turned away from Nanako at first, but she slowly turned around.

The child Nanako had yellow eyes.

“Remember…” she said. “You must remember….”

Nanako woke up.


	58. 4/16 - Early Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako dreams of coffee.

Nanako forced herself to choke down not one, but _two_ mugs of Crawbucks sludge. She needed the caffeine, badly. Going back to sleep was difficult after she had the nightmare. She dozed fitfully, always worried that if she slept too deeply that it would come back.

What did it mean?

Remember what?

She knew that the dream wasn’t just a dream. It was a memory, too.

Nanako yawned.

“But how much of it is a dream, and how much of it is memory…?” she said to herself.

“That’s an intriguing sentiment,” a deep voice said. Nanako turned around. It was the blue-haired boy from her first day of school. He wore a white uniform from a school called Kosei Academy.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to say that out loud,” Nanako said.

“Pardon my intrusion,” he said politely. “But thank you for saying it. I shall ponder on it all day. Excuse me.”

The boy bowed his head slightly and then vanished into the commuters. Nanako trudged her way to the train platform and waited for the next train into school.

“Hey.”

Nanako felt her heart rush a little. She sniffed audibly.

“You smell like coffee,” she said to Ren.

“Do I? Probably. It’s barely been a week and I already can’t smell it anymore,” he said with a small smile. Nanako sniffed again.

“It smells like really good coffee.”

“I’ll bring you some next time.”

“Would you? Thank goodness. If I have to drink another cup of my big bro’s Crawbuck’s sludge…”

Ren laughed. Nanako smiled and looked directly at him for the first time since he appeared on the platform.

“You’re not wearing your glasses,” Nanako pointed out. Ren touched his face, realizing his mistake, and then reached for his pocket.

“No, don’t,” Nanako said. “Just…at least until we get to school.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” she said, honestly. Ren lowered his hand.

The train came to a stop and they got on together. Miraculously, there were two seats, and they took them. They listened to the train run along the tracks while the TV spouted off some more news about the most recent subway crash.

“You look tired,” Ren said.

“I didn’t sleep well.”

“Me neither.”

They were silent some more. But Nanako wasn’t worried about the silence, for some reason. It wasn’t awkward. It was comfortable. At least, from her perspective it was. She stole a glance at Ren without his glasses - at his gorgeous eyes beneath the pillow of curly hair, at his fine features. It was a shame he hid behind the mask of his glasses.

“Are you weirded out by me?” Nanako asked directly. It seemed to catch Ren off-guard.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Do you think I’m…I don’t know, a stalker?”

“Ah. I was very surprised to see you here. And it is odd that you would intentionally follow me,” he said.

“Geez, you have to be so honest about it…”

“You brought it up,” he pointed out.

“It wasn’t _just_ for you, though. I felt like I needed a change. Life in Inaba was…”

“Quiet? Boring?”

“Yes.”

“Is that so bad?” Ren asked. “To be branded what I’ve been branded…it’s not going to go away easily. You know how it works around here. Follow the rules. Blend in. Do what society wants you to do. A quiet life in Inaba, bored because nothing bad happens…that’s something lots of people would long for.”

They sat a few moments more.

“That’s not what you long for, though,” Nanako said.

“It should be. It should be what you long for, after everything you’ve been through,” he said.

“Huh?” Nanako said, surprised. “What do you mean?”

The train came to a stop and announced the arrival. Faster than her eyes could track, Ren reached into his jacket pocket and slipped on his glasses.

“Come on. We’ll be late.”


	59. 4/16 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suzui.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: This is the Shiho scene and features a suicide attempt. I wrote it a little more graphically than was portrayed in the game - not grotesque or anything, but it is a lot more focus on the actual event. If you think reading this event will be harmful to your mental health, skip to the part where I put ~~~~~ Everything past that is after the event occurs.

Nanako left class to use the restroom. The coffee had done that to her, she supposed. That, and the iced coffee she bought at lunch. Now even that caffeine was running out and she was feeling fatigued again.

She wasn’t usually one to wander around during class, but she was afraid if she didn’t do something she was going to drift off right at her desk. Then again, maybe she should just sleep. If they were going to go into Kamoshida’s palace today, would being hopped up on caffeine be enough?

Well, she was already at the vending machine. Might as well buy it, and she could drink it later if she wanted. She scanned the rows for an energy drink - something called Ultimate Amazake. She put in her yen, listened to it drop, and then picked up the can.

She left the little enclave next to the vending machines.

And looked up.

Why did she look up? She didn’t know. She would never know. Maybe she was thinking about the flowers on the roof. Maybe she had seen something out of her peripheral vision. Maybe fate told her to do it. Whatever the reason, she looked up.

Standing on the edge of the roof was Suzui Shiho.

Nanako dropped the drink.

Suzui looked surprisingly calm. A placid mask of acceptance was pressed against her visage. Her knees started to bed.

Nanako ran.

Her leg muscles, conditioned to jump for the powerful spikes that made her the volleyball team’s ace, sprung her into the air above the courtyard. In that moment, the peace of her face shattered and contorted into fear. Suzui’s left arm sprung backward, reaching for the fence.

She was too far.

Nanako ran.

“Suzui!”

She could break the fall. Yes, it was going to hurt, a lot. Maybe even permanently. But Nanako had to do it. She had to try. She ran as fast as her legs could take her. If she could just get underneath her.

She couldn’t.

Nanako would never forget the sickening thud and crunch of Suzui’s body hitting the ground.

~~~~~

Nanako didn’t stop running. She got to Suzui’s side and rolled her onto her back. She put her ear to her chest.

She was still breathing!

“Suzui! Suzui, can you hear me? Don’t move, okay? I-I gotta call for an ambulance…”

Nanako reached for her phone, her hands trembling. Before she could get to it, Suzui’s hand closed around hers.

“Dojima…” she whispered.

“You’re conscious! That’s good. Stay with me Suzui, okay? Don’t let yourself fall asleep, you gotta stay awake. Focus on how much you hate me, and how bad I am at volleyball. Tell me everything I do wrong.”

“I don’t…hate you…” Suzui said. Her eyes were glistening and a little glazed over. “I…wanted to…”

“Protect me, right?” Nanako said, holding her hand tighter. “You were protecting me from Kamoshida.”

“Yes…sorry…you’re not…a bitch…”

“It’s okay. I understand, I really do. Thank you for caring about me, even though you didn’t know me…you’re a good person, Suzui. You need to stay alive, okay? Whatever happened to make you do this, it can be fixed. You need to fight now.”

“Shiho!”

Takamaki pushed through the crowd. Nanako hadn’t even realized there _was_ a crowd, she’d been so focused on helping Suzui.

“Ann…”

“Shiho…why…”

Takamaki leaned forward and listened to Suzui whisper. Nanako couldn’t hear what was being said, but the expressions on Takamaki’s face said a lot.

“He…he did that…” Takamaki stammered. Nanako held Suzui’s hand even tighter.

“He will face justice, Suzui. I swear it,” Nanako said. Takamaki looked at Nanako, confused. The crowd burst apart as an ambulance backed into the courtyard. Nanako hadn’t even realized there was an ambulance.

“We need someone to ride with her,” the paramedic said.

“I’ll go,” Takamaki said.

“Me too,” Nanako said. She looked and locked eyes with Takamaki. “If…if that’s okay…”

Takamaki only nodded. They helped the paramedics set Suzui into the back of the ambulance. Nanako and Takamaki piled into the back seats and waited for the ambulance to drive.

Takamaki held Suzui’s hand. Suzui was unconscious now, but breathing steadily with the help of an oxygen mask.

“Shiho…”

 _Pi pi pi_.

 **REN:** Are you okay?

 **NANAKO:** Yes. I’m riding with Suzui. Something happened with Kamoshida, I think.

 **RYUJI:** We’re gonna find out.

She didn’t know why, but Nanako felt a lot of rage in Ryuji’s text.

 **NANAKO:** Don’t do anything stupid.

Neither boy answered. It worried Nanako. Maybe she shouldn’t have come on the ambulance. The boys might need a cooler head to prevail.

But it was too late now. All she could do was help take Suzui to the hospital, and see this through to the end.


	60. 4/16 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hospitals

Hospitals.

Nanako had been in too many hospitals. She’d gone to a hospital the night her mom died. She only remembered flashes of that. She remembered dad crying. She remembered the _smell_ , more than anything; the smell of a common hospital disinfectant. It was strange, because every once in a while she would catch a whiff of that same disinfectant and suddenly miss her mother.

Dad had been in the hospital too, the year big bro came to live with them. He’d been driving too fast, trying to stop a bad guy.

She’d been in the hospital, though she didn’t remember that very well. She didn’t remember _why_ she was there, other than that someone had tried to kidnap her.

Nanako shut her eyes and took a deep breath. The dizziness of memory threatened to overtake her again, and now wasn’t the time for her to lose her focus. The dizziness passed and Nanako went back to working the vending machine. She picked up the two drinks from the dispenser.

“Hey. Which one do you want?” Nanako asked. Sitting on the edge of the waiting room chair was Takamaki, leaning her elbows on her knees, her head pointed at the floor. She looked up.

“Whichever one’s not carbonated,” she said. Nanako nodded and handed her the lemon tea, keeping the cola for herself. Nanako sat next to her, and they both drank.

“Thanks,” Takamaki said. “Shiho’s parents are on the way so…you don’t need to stay anymore.”

“What about your parents?”

“They’re overseas.”

Nanako nodded and took another sip. “I’ll stay with you until they get here, then. Hospitals are hard to be in alone.”

They sat.

“Why are you being so nice?” Takamaki asked.

“Hm? I mean, I know we’re not friends, but…”

“I mean, to Shiho. I saw how she treated you yesterday. That was…shocking.”

“I noticed,” Nanako said. “You looked surprised that she said something like that.”

“I was surprised,” she said. “Very surprised.”

“Thank you for that. It helped me figure out Suzui’s true feelings,” Nanako said. “She wanted to protect me from…him.”

Takamaki nodded slowly.

“That sounds like Shiho.”

They sat.

“This is my fault, you know. I was leading him on, and yesterday he called me and…well I turned him down. And Shiho was acting so strange today and…damnit, I just knew that something had happened…I shouldn’t have…”

“Stop,” Nanako said. “Nothing is your fault. Nothing is Suzui’s fault, either. It’s _his_ fault. He’s the one that did this. To you. To her. To all of us. He’s the one that should feel bad.”

“But he won’t,” Takamaki said. “I know him well enough…he won’t. And nothing will happen to him.”

Nanako examined the drink in her hand, turning it slowly and watching the light shine off of thesurface.

“Sometimes justice finds a way,” Nanako said.

Takamaki looked up, then stood.

“Those are Shiho’s parents…”

“Go to them,” Nanako said. Takamaki nodded and got up, rushing over towards a very worried looking couple. Nanako focused on drinking her drink, trying not to watch them. It seemed intrusive for her to watch what was going to be a very difficult moment.

“Excuse me, miss?” A nurse said to Nanako. “You came with the patient from Shujin Academy, right?”

“Yes,” Nanako said.

“The police would like to talk to you. Please follow me.”

Nanako was worried for a split second, which was strange. Police never worried her. Maybe it was just the stress of the day getting to her. She knew her rights, though, and she knew all the standard police questioning techniques. If the police were aggressive or unhelpful, she’d shut them down right away.

The nurse led her around a corner, where Nanako saw two figures waiting.

“Naoto!?” Nanako cried. “Chie!?”

“Nanako-chan?” Chie said, looking just as shocked. “What are you doing here?”

“I came with Suzui in the ambulance,” Nanako explained. Naoto looked at her cooly from underneath her cap, a small smile on her lips.

“Well, this is convenient. Come on, let’s find a place to talk. Are you hungry?”

“Not especially,” Nanako said.

“Well, unfortunately Chie can’t operate without a meal every two hours so…”

“Hey!” Chie grumbled. Naoto smirked. Nanako giggled. She suddenly felt a lot better, and weights she didn’t know she was carrying lifted off of her shoulders.

They went down to the hospital cafeteria, where Chie did indeed get a medicore looking beef and rice bowl. Naoto had nothing, and Nanako kept working on her drink. They found a table in the corner. Chie ate with one hand and impressively wrote things in her police notebook with the other.

“Start at the beginning, if you don’t mind,” Naoto said. “Just tell us what you remember. Don’t leave out anything.”

Nanako did: about her somewhat antagonistic relationship with Suzui, about going out to the vending machine, then the jump. Naoto and Chie were silent through the story, save for the scratching of Chie’s pen, and the chewing she was doing.

“I’m going to ask you a somewhat difficult question, Nanako. Take all the time you need to think about and answer it, but I do need you to ansswer it,” Naoto said. “When Suzui-san stepped off the roof, what was her demeanor?”

Nanako didn’t need to consider the answer, she knew. But she pretended she did so she could have a moment to think.

Something was going on. Chie showing up to be the police officer to question her could have been a coincidence…but what was Naoto doing here? Technically, she didn’t work for the police, or any government agency directly. There’s no way she would have been sent here to discuss a suicide attempt. She was here because she wanted to be, which meant that she was looking for something. This question was part of that thing she was looking for.

But what was she looking for?

“At first, calm. Peaceful. But the moment she jumped, that all changed. She became panicked, then reached back for the fence, trying to stop herself.”

Naoto glanced at Chie. Chie finished the last bites of her bowl and nodded. She made a few final marks in her notebook, then stood up.

“I’m gonna go call it in,” Chie said. “Be right back!”

She left, leaving Nanako and Naoto alone.

“That was a good observtion, Nanako-chan,” Naoto said. “Very astute.”

“Oh? I just happened to be looking up.”

“Never underestimate luck when you’re doing investigative work,” Naoto said. “Or did your investigation days end when you hung up your Loveline cape?”

Nanako almost cringed at the memory. As a child, she had thought that Yu was being very suspicious, and ended up dressing up as her favorite anime detective: Loveline, Magical Detective. She ran all around Inaba in that get-up, and Naoto had helped her along the way.

“If you’re asking if I’m going to be a police officer, I don’t know. Dad has mixed feelings about it. He says he doesn’t want me to, but I think there’s part of him that kinda does,” Nanako said. Naoto folded her hands on the top of the table.

“When I was young, my grandfather trained me in the ways of the Shirogane Detection Style. He said that there were three important things every good detective needed: a keen intellect, a willingness to follow your gut, and a caring heart.”

“Caring heart?” Nanako said, surprised.

“Yes. You see, a person with a keen intellect can make all the deductions, put the clues together and follow the logic…but they’ll never understand _why_. The heart is necessary in order for empathy, and empathy can be a key tool in following an investigation to its end. That was the lesson I learned that strange summer. I had my intellect, and I was pretty good about following my gut…but my heart needed to be softened, just a little.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?” Nanako asked.

“Because you ask questions like that,” Naoto said. “I only worked with your father the one time, but I was very impressed by his skills. He had those three qualities, and even though he only had half of the picture of our case, he was still right behind me. He would’ve figured the whole thing on his own, I think.”

“He is pretty great,” Nanako said, feeling a swelling pride for her father.

“I think you may have inherited those skills from him.”

“Oh. I mean, I noticed Suzui when she was stepping off the building, but that hardly-”

“What am I doing here, Nanako-chan?”

The question was abrupt and caught Nanako off-guard. Had she really been that transparent in her long pause? Or was Naoto testing her? Nanako thought about playing dumb, but somehow she felt Naoto would see right through that. Nanako opened her mouth to speak, but Naoto raised her finger.

“Think it all the way through. Don’t spill your conjecture to me, I might use it lead your thoughts astray.”

Nanako concentrated. Why would Naoto want to know what Suzui’s demeanor was like? As far as Nanako knew, it was pretty standard. Many who survive suicide talk about how they regret it the moment they begin, and they reach out for things or try to save themselves. Part of the survival instinct kicks in, she supposed.

But when Nanako told that to Naoto and Chie, they stopped questioning her. They had gotten the answer they were looking for, and it was a dead-end. So what could Naoto be investigating?

“You’re investigating the strange string of mental shutdowns going on in the city,” Nanako stated. “And you thought maybe Suzui had experienced one. But when I told you how she behaved, you realized that wasn’t the case.”

“Very impressive. I knew you had the skills of an investigator inside you,” Naoto said with a big, prideful smile.

“How’s it going?” Nanako asked. Naoto shrugged.

“It is a very strange case. The journey may be long, but we’ll get there in the end…say, Nanako, did you hurt yourself?”

Naoto pointed at Nanako’s shoulder. Nanako looked. Her uniform blouse had shifted slightly, revealing part of her bare shoulder and her bra strap. Beneath the bra strap was a red mark from the Compendium’s strap.

Shoot! She didn’t get that badly hurt their last time in the palace, so they didn’t use any heal spells. What a stupid mistake.

“My bag broke the other day,” she said. “It’s probably from that.” ‘

“Mm,” Naoto said with a nod.

“Say, Naoto…” Nanako said, trying to find the courage to ask her question. “You believe in the law. But…what happens when those who enforce the law turn a blind eye? How is justice supposed to prevail then?”

“A difficult question. It’s part of why I never work directly for any government agency. There are too many rules, too much on the line, too much corruption. As an independent detective, I can focus purely on finding the truth. That’s how I correct justice, I reveal the truth to everyone. What happens afterwards is sometimes, perhaps most times, out of my control. But at least I have revealed it.”

“So sometimes you have to do what you must, regardless of the law?” Nanako asked.

“The law only works if the people enforcing it are just. I don’t condone vigilanteism but…there are many shades of gray along the way.”

“Thanks, Naoto. Hey, you should come by for dinner soon.”

“With Yu there?”

“Of course!”

Naoto hesitated. “I’m still not sure that’s a good idea just yet.”

“Why not? Everything at Christmas was great! And I mean…it’s been years now, so…”

“Thank you for the invitation. I will…think it over.”

“Okay.”

Chie returned and promised that she’d come by the house to visit her and Yu soon. The two women got up. Nanako followed them towards the door.

“Oh, Naoto, one last question, about…”

Nanako stopped. Naoto had turned and given her a look. A very meaningful look.

Another test?

She would only give that look if Naoto had figured out what it was Nanako wanted to ask. Nanako was going to ask about Teddie…but that meant Naoto knew she was going to ask about Teddie. And this look was meant to stop her from asking because…

Because she was close.

And she didn’t want anyone to casually talk about it, for some reason.

Nanako just nodded.

“You should head home soon, Nanako-chan,” Chie said. “It’s getting late. The girl…well, she’s in a coma right now. I don’t think she’ll be awake for a while, though she’s stable. She’ll live.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Bye, Nanako!” Chie said.

“See you around, detective,” Naoto said.

They left.

=====

 **SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
** Justice: Naoto Shirogane  
Level 1


	61. 4/16 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Expulsion

“Expelled!?” Nanako hissed on the phone. “You dummies! I told you not to do anything stupid!”

“Yeah, well…he pissed me off,” Ryuji grumbled. He sounded a mixture of embarrassed and defensive.

“He’s pissing me off too, but that doesn’t mean you can let your temper get out of control,” Nanako said. “What are you going to do?”

“There’s still 14 days,” Ren said, his voice calm and collected as always. “If we can change his heart before the school board meeting, then we’ll be safe.”

Nanako was in her room, pacing around the room. She sat down on her bed and held her pillow in her lap.

“Is that enough time? I feel like that castle is huge, and we’ve hardly gotten anywhere…”

“Morgana says it’ll be fine. He also wants us to start training tomorrow, he says he has a place to go,” Ren said.

“No,” Nanako said. “I want to go to the palace after school. I don’t want to wait a moment longer. He needs to be stopped.”

“Yeah, we should go straight in. We’ll be fine,” Ryuji said.

“Let’s talk about it after school,” Ren said. “We only have half a day tomorrow.”

“Right. Hey, Nanako, how was Suzui and Takamaki?” Ryuji asked.

“Not great. Suzui’s in a coma. Takamaki seemed okay. Shocked, mostly,” Nanako said.

There was a long moment of silence on the phone.

“Right. See you tomorrow,” Ren said.

They all hung up.


	62. 4/17 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako makes a special order.

“Sano-san!”

“Eh? Oh, hey Dojima,” Sano said, stopping his walk into Shujin. Nanako rushed up to catch up to him.

“Hey, do you think you could make something else for me? It’s uh…kind of a strange request. I’ll pay you this time, of course,” Nanako said.

“Sure. Can you drop by the shop after school?”

“Ah, sorry, I have plans…tomorrow?”

“Sure. Let’s exchange contact info.”

They got out their phones and entered the information into them. While Nanako was finishing the final touches on her entry, Sano looked at her back.

“Uh, do you need me to make something that’s going to carry all that…?” he asked. Nanako looked at herself - along with her usual school bag, she had a large duffle bag on her back.

“Oh, no, that stuff’s just for…club activities. What you’re making is a little more…specialized. I’d rather not talk about it in public,” Nanako said. Then she regretted her word choice - why did she say it like that!? That made it sound sketchy!

“Okay…well, see you later,” Sano said, slipping his phone away and heading into school. Nanako adjusted the duffle bag on her back.

She could be so awkward sometimes…


	63. 4/17 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann confronts the Thieves.

Saturdays were half days, so school let out around lunchtime. She had remembered that eating in the Metaverse was important, so Nanako bought some of the ultra-popular yakisoba bread from the school store. She brought enough for the boys too, and they sat by the vending machines, fueling up.

It was weird to be back at the spot where just yesterday she’d seen Suzui jump. The area where she landed was covered and blocked off. Rumors said that it was covered in her blood still, though in reality it was probably just covered to keep people from gathering around it.

The rumors around Suzui’s jump were nasty - and conveniently, none of them had to do with Kamoshida. The school could be so shockingly cruel. There was no foundation to any of the rumors, and yet they were told boldly. And the other students just listened and accepted them as truth. No one ever questioned anything.

Nanako hated it. She wanted the truth to come out so badly. But if she started talking, it would just be more rumors to add to the pile…worse, it would attract Kamoshida’s attention.

No. Making him confess with his own mouth would be much better.

“I still think we should do a little training. If we push too far into the palace when you’re not ready, you could get seriously hurt,” Morgana pointed out.

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to get through the whole palace in one day,” Nanako said. “We have 14 days. Let’s pace ourselves. You said yourself we need to secure an infiltration route, right? The more times we use the route, the more secure it will be.”

“That’s true…I still worry about the control over your Personas. Especially Ryuji,” Morgana said.

“Hey, why _especially_ me!?”

“What do you think?” Nanako asked Ren. He’d been quiet through the meal and discussions so far.

“Someone’s coming,” he said.

They all turned and looked. Takamaki was striding over to them.

“I want in,” she said.

“In what?” Ryuji replied casually.

“You’re planning on going after Kamoshida, right? Whatever you’re doing, I want in.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ryuji said, a surprising amount anger in his voice. “Stay out of our way, got it?”

“But I have to do something,” Takamaki insisted.

“No, you don’t. This is dangerous. You shouldn’t get mixed up with guys like us. Didn’t you hear, we’re getting expelled.”

“What about you?” Takamaki said, looking straight at Nanako. “You said yesterday…you told Shiho that he would face justice. Are you really not going to let me help? She’s my only…”

“I…” Nanako stammered.

“Forget it, Takamaki. Go home,” Ryuji snapped.

Takamaki glared at him, her eyes glistening with rage-filled tears. After a moment, she huffed, and walked away.

“That was a bit harsh,” Morgana said.

“She can’t come with us, can she?” Ryuji pointed out. “She could die in there, couldn’t she?”

“Yeah…” Morgana admitted.

“I hope she’s not too hard on herself…” Nanako said.

“The only thing that matters right now is taking care of Kamoshida,” Ren cut in. “Let’s go.”

The team nodded, grabbed their belongings, and headed out of the school. They left through the front gates and gathered by the alleyway, as they had before.

“Once we’re on the other side, we have to act as phantom thieves,” Morgana said.

“Phantom thieves?” Ryuji asked.

“Those who break into fortresses and stylishly steal treasure. That’s what a phantom thief is.”

“Ha, that sounds pretty cool,” Ryuji said.

“What do you think?” Nanako asked Ren. He didn’t say anything, but adjusted his glasses. Nanako sighed.

“Just be honest, you love the idea…”

“All right, Kamoshida, school, and then the keyword, castle, right? Hey, how does this thing even work?” Ryuji asked, holding his Meta Nav up.

“I don’t know,” Morgana said. “Sorry, I’ve been thinking about it.”

“Ah well, who cares, as long as it works,” Ryuji said. “Here we go.”

_“Beginning navigation.”_


	64. 4/17 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann follows.

When reality stopped bending, Nanako dropped her duffle bag on the ground.

“Okay, time to set up,” she said.

“Eh? What do you mean?” Skull asked.

“Well, I don’t get all the cool costumes and stuff, so I have to make do, remember? Just need to-”

“W-what is this place!? Where’s the school!?”

“Takamaki?” Skull said.

The phantom thieves turned. Takamaki stood there, staring up in amazement at Kamoshida’s twisted palace.

“That voice…Sakamato? And…Dojima’s here too…what is going on? What is this place?”

“Try and stay calm,” Morgana said.

“Ack! A monster cat!”

“M-monster…” Morgana said sadly.

“Takamaki,” Joker called out. “Calm down.”

“You’re Amamiya…what is this? Does this have to do with Kamoshida? What are you going to do to him?”

Skull sighed. “No way around it. We’re gonna have to drag her out.”

“How’d she even get in here?” Nanako asked.

“Probably the same way you do. She must have been standing close enough to get affected by the Meta Nav,” Morgana said.

Skull and Joker had to grab Takamaki and take her to the edge of the palace’s border, promising her that they’d explain everything later. Nanako wondered if Takamaki would believe them, or if she’d just try to forget the whole thing as a weird dream.

“I kinda feel bad…” Joker said.

“What’s with everyone? Dangerous shadows, remember?” Skull said.

“Okay, turn around,” Nanako said.

“Huh? Wait, what, why?” Skull asked.

“I have to change. Turn around.”

“O-oh! Right.”

Nanako summoned up all the ice her voice could muster.

“If any of you moves their head even a millimeter, Izanagi will remove your eyes.”

“Y-yes, Nanako-san!” Skull said. Then he leaned over to Joker. “Man, she’s so scary…”

Nanako changed swiftly, using the clothes in her duffle bag, then spent a few moments fussing with the final touches.

“Okay, you can look now…ta da!”

They looked.

“Huh…that’s another uniform,” Skull said. “I mean it looks nice, but shouldn’t you have picked something a little more…I dunno.”

“The point is to make sure his subconscious doesn’t realize Shujin studnets are here, right? If I’m wearing a different school, then even if his subconscious notices, it won’t matter,” Nanako said. “Not bad, right?”

“Clever solution,” Morgana agreed. Nanako looked over at Ren. It was so hard to read him beneath the mask. Nanako could tell he was a bit emotional, though. Uncomfortable? Nostalgic? Irritated?

Nanako knew there would be that risk when she put on her Yasogami High uniform, complete with black and yellow. But it couldn’t be helped, it was the only thing she had that made sense. She also wore her big bro’s old glasses, and had the Compendium over her shoulder. She held her gun loosely in her left hand.

“Let’s go,” Joker ordered.

It was getting easier and easier to slip into the castle.

Although the shadows they destroyed regenerated every day, their behaviors were similar when they returned. Their patrol patterns, their quiks, even what shaped they morphed into when the mask was pulled was all the same time after time. This time they were able to make some good headway through the backrooms. From here, there was a hallway to a heavy door, a stairway that went up to the second floor, and one that went back down towards the lower dungeons, where they were originally captured.

Morgana said that he sensed the treasure in the upper floors, but Joker wanted to check this one door first.

“Cover me.”

He swept down the hallway and made it to the door. Skull and Nanako dove to the edges of the hallway, each of them pulling their guns. Nanako’s heart was thundering in her chest.

But she was smiling, too.

She…loved this, didn’t she?

She had tried to avoid thinking about this fact, but with each entry into the castle, the truth was becoming harder to ignore. When she thought about breaking into the castle, or even breaking into Yasogami High two months ago, she was hit with a thrill. It was an excitement that couldn’t be replicated in anything else she did, and she found herself longing for it in quiet moments.

It wasn’t because of Ren, she decided, though her feelings for him were definitely getting mixed up in everything else. It wasn’t because she was helping others, either. Yes, fighting for justice was good, and it cleared her conscience and gave her the motivation to keep going, but it wasn’t a thrill.

The thrill was a thing that existed by itself.

She liked being a phantom thief because it was _fun_. And she felt a little guilty about that.

But now wasn’t the time to be unpacking that. Right now, she would take the accelerated heartbeat and the adrenaline and use it to keep her senses sharp.

“Huh…this is…sort of a weird lock…” Joker muttered to himself. Morgana peeked up at his work.

“Yeah, this is a castle. You can’t use modern lockpicking tools on old locks like that, the keys were way bigger.”

“So there’s a real key to this door?” Joker asked.

“Yes. The palace works differently from the real world, but it still behaves within its own rules. If this castle has a key that must unlock a door, then that key also exists. One of the guards probably has it,” Morgana explained.

“How are we gonna figure out which one?” Skull asked over his shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it. I can spot the difference,” Joker said vaguely. Skull looked at Nanako. Nanako just shrugged.

“Then let’s move on. If we find the key, we can come back,” Nanako said.

“Agreed. Let’s go,” Joker ordered.

They slipped down the hall and back to the spiral staircase waiting for them at the end of the hall. But just before they went to climb the stairs, Nanako stopped.

“Hey, what’s this door?”

They all turned. There was a door, but its shape wasn’t quite as consistent as the others. It was distorted, and in the curves of the distortion, it looked like it was a…classroom door?

“Oh, a weak point in the cognition,” Morgana said. “Let’s use it.”

He hopped up and pulled the door open and the team slipped through.

The atmosphere in this room was immediately different. First, all of reality seemed to shift, revealing one of the bland classrooms from Shujin, though Nanako couldn’t make out which one it was, exactly. Then, when reality came shifting back, the whole room was different.

The castle architecture was definitely a very classical European castle, with thick slabs of stone and wrought iron. There was some ornamentation and finery in the form of the checkered marbled floor and the overuse of red velvet. It was…well, it was a middle aged man’s definition of powerful and sexy, Nanako supposed.

This room was nothing like it. Instead, the room was made of smooth white marble with gold trim. Everything was exquisitely designed with lots of scroll work and ornamentation - it had a very French feel to Nanako. The floor had beautiful carpet spun of gold and purple, and the room was significantly brighter than other areas of the castle.

“We can use this as a safe room!” Morgana exclaimed. “Kamoshida doesn’t have strong cognition over other areas of the school, like this classroom, therefore his mental control of the palace is weak in those areas. Shadows won’t come in here, and we can stay and rest as long as we need to.”

“Convenient,” Joker said. “And a lot less dreary.”

“We don’t need to rest though, do we?” Skull asked. “We haven’t fought anyone yet, and I’m ready to go!”

“I’m good too,” Nanako said. “We should head to the second floor.”

“Good. At least we know where we can go if we need to,” Joker pointed out.

They opened the door from their safe room and started up the stairway. But they only made it halfway up.

“Hey! What the hell is all of this!? Is this some kind of messed up red light district!? Let me go! I’ll call the cops!”

“Takamaki?!” Nanako said, stopping in her tracks.

“Damnit, I thought we got her out of here!” Skull snapped.

“Let’s go,” Joker ordered.


	65. 4/17 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dance, Carmen.

The door that had been locked was now open.

A shadow was about to push it shut when Joker’s gun appeared in his hand.

 _Blam, blam, blam_.

The shots were precise and well-grouped. The shadow slumped back, melting out of his armor. Joker threw himself into a flying kick, striking the thick wood of the door and slamming it hard against its hinges. Skull, Mona, and Nanako were right behind him and spread out into the room.

“What the hell…” Nanako found herself muttering.

The whole room was filled with women.

No, not women. _Girls_. Girls in PE uniforms, in volleyball uniforms, in…well, considerably less than that. They lay across the plush pink carpet of the room in wanton, lusty positions, writhing around on the ground in the most seductive poses they could imagine.

“Is this…what he thinks of the girls on the volleyball team?” Nanako asked herself.

“Tch, of course it is. That’s why he had no problem raping Suzui,” Skull said. Nanako felt a new anger burn inside of her, and she unsnapped the Compendium.

“Not so fast,” the voice of Kamoshida’s shadow commanded. He stepped in through another door, flanked by two of his own guards. Nanako looked ahead to see that there was a wooden X staked into the ground and that Takamaki had been fastened to it, her legs and arms stuck in position.

“Let me go!” Takamaki yelled.

“What’s going on here?” Kamoshida said, looking irritated as he swiveled his gaze from Takamaki to the thieves, back to Takamaki again. One shadow stepped forward.

“Your majesty, we found the princess wandering the front of the castle. We thought we’d escort her back here, but she got really belligerent…and then she started making fun of us and…”

“You idiots. You really think a stuck up bitch like this is my princess?”

The shadows looked at each other, confused. Just then, there was the resounding _click clack click clack_ of stiletto heels.

“Oh my gawd, what’s this?”

“Another Takamaki?” Nanako asked. She glanced at the boys.

They were too busy staring. Damnit. Yes, Takamaki looked good in that strange leopard print bikini that _barely_ covered anything, but this wasn’t the time for that! The second Takamaki didn’t seem to mind being ogled at. Nor did she seem to mind the cat ears and the little collar with the bell around her neck.

“Hey Princess. The guards just thought this….thing, was you.”

“Eww, for real? Just look at her. Hiding her hot little bod behind all those layers of clothing. She’s nothing but a child in a woman’s body. You need a more mature lover,” the second Takamaki said.

“Is that a shadow?” Nanako asked.

“No. It’s a cognition,” Mona said. “It’s what Kamoshida really thinks of Takamaki.”

“That bastard!” Nanako snarled. Kamoshida snapped his fingers, and the swords of the guards came to bear - with one pointed at Takamaki’s chest.

“Now now, I’m not sure why you people keep trying to come in here, but we’re very busy. Once I get you expelled, I can turn my attention back to my kingdom, free from usurpers and enemies of the crown,” Kamoshida said. “This is the part of being king that I really hate - keeping the insurrectionists at bay. I wish you’d all just leave me alone so I can enjoy the fruits of my labors…like uh…what was that chick’s name?”

“You mean me, Master?”

They all turned. Suzui came strutting out from a side door, clad in a white fur bikini with more cat ears and a long tail.

“Ah, there she is. You were a delectable little snack. Nothing like the princess here can offer, but you satisfied me for a little while.”

“ _You bastard! I’ll never forgive you! Ever!”_ Takamaki’s voice was filled to the brim with rage. Hot tears of hatred were streaming down her cheeks.

“Ugh. This one is so noisy. Guards, silence her.”

The thieves drew their guns all at once. Nanako kept hers trained on Kamoshida’s head, assuming the firing stance that her father had drilled into her. He just shook his head and tsked.

“If you want me to kill her, fine, go ahead and shoot. Do you think you can kill my guard before his sword pierces her throat? There’s nothing you can do.”

“You’re right,” Joker called out. Both Skull and Nanako turned, shocked.

“There isn’t anything for us to do. It’s all on you, Takamaki,” Joker said.

“W-what..?”

“You can’t give in. Remember everything you told me the other day about what Suzui-san meant to you,” Joker said. “Did those words mean anything to you?”

“Of course they did!”

“Then fight! If you don’t avenge her, who will?”

“…You’re right.”

“I’ve heard enough of this. Go-”

Kamoshida was cut off by the sound of a terrified whimper.

“M-my sword!”

The guard who had held his sword at Tamaki’s throat watched as the tip of his sword glowed a bright orange, then started dripping to the floor. Takamaki’s gaze was fixated on the end of the blade, her eyes yellow.

“Again…” Nanako whispered.

The guard yelped and dropped his sword, now too hot for him to hold any longer.

“You’ve pissed me off,” Takamaki said. “And I”m not letting you get away with it for a moment longer.”

The bindings at her wrist melted away into more globs of glowing orange. She took a step forward, aura one of barely contained rage. Blue flame rushed around her face and a crimson cat mask appeared.

Takamaki grabbed the mask by the ears and let out a berserker scream.

Blue flame swirled around her body. A Persona appeared behind her - a woman clad in red with spiraling black hair. The Persona held onto a pair of chains that served as leashes to two lovestruck men.

Takamaki had transformed as well, now clad in slick red leather that clung to every curve. It was sexy, but also powerful. Nanako was shocked by the effect of it, especially with Takamaki’s bright blonde hair.

“Stop them!” Kamoshida yelled as he ran behind a powerful gold-clad knight. Nanako pulled the trigger and let off three rounds, but the knight raised his shield to deflect them.

“Skull! Behind you!” Mona yelled. Skull spun around just in time to see one of the girls laying on the floor leap to her feet and charge straight at him. Shotgun already in hand, he fired it into her belly and melted it back into Shadow.

 _“Izanagi!_ ”

Nanako rushed towards Skull while Izanagi cut open a path with his sword. It gave Skull just enough time to back away and grab his mask.

“Captain Kidd!”

“Everyone, over here!” Joker ordered.

Captain Kidd fired off another blast of zio energy through the crowd, exploding through the shadow girls. Realizing they were outmatched, the shadow girls started fleeing for the side doors. Joker and Mona were ahead, rushing to try and reach Takamaki.

“Oh my god, what sort of ridiculous- _aaah!_ ”

The second Takamaki was incinerated with a flick of her Persona’s wrist.

“I’m not a cheap toy you can play with, Kamoshida. And neither is Shiho!”

The cognitive Shiho screamed as well, also incinerated. The golden knight pulled off his helmet and morphed into his true form: Belphegor, a demon who battled from atop a literal toilet. His shape was immense and blocked off their access to Kamoshida, who was retreating into the castle.

“You ungrateful lass! How dare you turn down the love of King Kamoshida, the one who-”

“Get out of my way!” Takamaki roared.

“Never! I am the stalwart! I will stand at the vanguard and protect my liege!”

“Then you can be the one to receive it,” Takamaki said. She focused her gaze intensely at Belphegor and her Persona began to dance behind her, a sultry tango for one.

“ _Dance, Carmen! Let him have it! My love, my pain, and all of my sorrow!_ ”

An incredible blast of fire erupted from Takamaki’s Persona. The heat blast was so intense that Nanako almost lost her focus on Izanagi, who had dropped in front of her to protect her from the blast. Fire splashed over Belphegor, crawled around him and through him, until it crashed into the wall behind him. Banners and carpets all caught ablaze and continued to burn even after Takamaki’s fire attack subsided.

There was nothing left of Belphegor.

“N-now…I…”

The Persona vanished and her mask reappeared on her face.

Joker caught her before she hit the ground.

“Takamaki, are you all right?” he asked.

“I feel…”

“It’s okay. The first time takes it out of everyone pretty badly,” Joker said. He adjusted her weight until she was able to stand while leaning on his shoulder.

“Sorry…wait…what am I wearing?”

“We’ll explain later,” Joker said. “We better head back.”

“Yeah, I sense a lot of shadows coming this way,” Mona said.

“I’ll take the lead, Mona you’re with me. Skull, cover Joker from the rear,” Nanako ordered.

“Right.”

“On it!”

They charged back towards the entrance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus points if you name the anime I referenced.


	66. 4/17 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The thieves regroup.

“I hope you liked the lemon tea,” Nanako said. She held out the vending machine drink towards Takamaki.

“Yeah, thanks,” she said. She took it, opened the bottle, and drank deeply. For the second time in two days, Nanako sat beside Takamaki. They had retreated to the train station after leaving the palace and were just hanging out on the platform. Takamaki was really out of it, moreso than Ryuji had been. Nanako was actually pretty worried about it, which is probably why Ren sent her to get drinks.

She passed out the rest, leaving Nanako left with a water bottle and a bottle of milk.

“Oh…sorry, Morgana, I don’t have anything to pour this in,” Nanako said.

“Ah, you thought of me? Thanks. Ren, put it in your bag, I can have it when we get back to the chief’s place.”

Ren took the milk and put it in his bag.

“I can’t believe this is all happening…the talking cat just ordered that guy around…though, you’re not a cat, right?” Takamaki said.

“It’s all right, Lady Ann. A lot happened to you, it’s too much to ask you to understand it all at once. Take your time with it,” Morgana said.

“So I have the power of a Persona…awakened by my rebellion. And my anger, I guess. I…didn’t realize how angry I was about everything. To be honest…it was a little scary.”

“I’ll say. That was a lot of fire,” Ryuji said. Nanako gave him a quick, sharp glare.

“You have every right to be angry,” Nanako said. “What Kamoshida has done to Suzui, to everyoe, is horrible. We’re angry about it too.”

“Which is why we’re doing what we’re doing,” Ren added. “There’s no way that the principal and the parents don’t know what’s going on, but they’re ignoring the problem because of the fame he brings the school.”

“If people like me and Ren complain, they’ll just ignore us. We’re troublemakers, after all.”

“And the police can’t move without any hard evidence,” Nanako said. “But if we get him to confess his crimes with his own mouth…”

“Yes,” Takamaki said. “Yes. That’s the only way forward. I want to help.”

“Of course,” Nanako said. “I mean, she should join us, right?”

“What? Come on, didn’t you see how dangerous it was in there?” Ryuji complained.

“She’ll be a good addition,” Ren cut in. “Welcome to the team.”

“I hope we get along, and I hope you can rely on me,” Takamaki said.

They spent a few moments exchanging contact information and adding Takamaki to the group chat. While they did that, Morgana spoke.

“Before we go back into that palace we need to practice your abilities. You were incredibly powerful, Lady Ann, but it’ll be dangerous if you get wiped out every time you use your Persona. There’s a place I want to take you all that will help us in that regard…let’s meet at the hideout on Monday to discuss it.”

“Hideout?” Takamaki said.

“It’s the roof of the school,” Nanako said with a laugh.

“Okay. I’ll be there. For now though…I’m very tired. I’m going to head home.”

“Where do you live?” Nanako asked.

“In Shibuya.”

“Oh, me too. I’ll walk with you.”

They left the boys behind and waited for the next train.

“Hey, uh, Dojima…can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“What are you wearing?”

Nanako looked down at her Yasogami High uniform. In all the panic of escaping the palace, she hadn’t had time to change. She sighed.

“It’s my old uniform…my clothes don’t change in the metaverse, but I don’t want his subconscious to know I’m there, so I wear this uniform to throw him off.”

“Oh, that makes sense. It’s a cute uniform, very classy.”

“I think I like the Shujin ones better,” Nanako said.

“You always go with the suspenders, right? It’s a good look on you,” Takamaki said.

“Thanks.”

“Hey, I know a lot of the rumors are just rumors, but are you really dating Amamiya?”

“W-what!? That’s a rumor?!” Nanako said, her face turning bright red. Takamaki smiled.

“Well, I think I have my answer.”

“No, we’re not!” Nanako said hurriedly. “But we are from the same hometown.”

“Oh, that’s interesting that you both transferred to the same school.”

“Yeah…interesting…” Nanako said, feeling a sudden rush of embarrassment. “I’ll tell you all about it sometime.”


	67. 4/17 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako makes dinner.

“Sorry, I know we were going to go shopping together tomorrow, but I had time and thought I’d save you the trouble,” Yu said.

“You used the list, right?”

He grinned and held it up between two fingers. “I did.”

“Well, we’ll see how you did.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You don’t think I can follow a list?”

“Well yes you can follow a list, but did you pick fresh, high quality ingredients? I mean, you do buy _Crawbucks_ after all…”

“Hm, when did Nanako-chan become so snobby with food. You’ll be glad to know I bought different coffee.”

“Well we’ll see about that as well.”

They both laughed.

Despite being a bit mentally drained from her foray into the palace, she had the energy to do some cooking - just a simple ramen, but it was soothing after all the drama of the day. Big bro actually did a good job of buying groceries.

“This is seriously delicious. Aunt Kaho must have taught you well.”

“Thanks, I’m glad you like it.”

 _Pi pi pi_.

“Oh, sorry,” Nanako said, moving to shut off her phone.

“Sorry for what?”

“Having my phone on while eating,” Nanako replied. Yu just laughed.

“It’s fine. Is it a friend? Feel free to answer them.”

Huh. Well, that was at least one benefit of not being at home with dad. It felt weird, almost wrong, to open the text app while she was still eating, but she went ahead and did it.

 **REN:** Takamaki, did you get home okay?

 **ANN:** Yes, thanks for checking! It turns out that Nanako and I live in the same building!

 **RYUJI:** For real!?

 **ANN:** Crazy coincidence, right? She’s a few floors below me.

 **NANAKO:** Also we decided to call each other by our first names, just like the rest of us.

 **RYUJI:** Hm, true, we do risk our lives side by side. We don’t get much closer than that.

 **ANN:** I know I sort of forced my way into this mess, but I’m glad you’re here. Please everyone call me by my first name.

 **NANAKO:** Yay! I’m so glad there’s another girl on the team. The boys are great, but sometimes…

 **ANN:** I totally get what you mean.

Nanako smiled at that, then slurped up some noodles.

 **REN:** Ann will need a codename.

 **RYUJI:** What, you just switch to using her name that easily? You’re too cool-headed…

 **ANN:** A code name?

 **NANAKO:** It’s the same reason I wear that old uniform. It’s safer to use a codename rather than our real names, just in case the subconscious picks up on it.

 **ANN:** Oh. I don’t get it, but okay. I’ll think about it.

 **RYUJI:** How about Sexy Kitty?

 **ANN:** No!

 **NANAKO:** Come on Ryuji, grow up.

 **REN:** I think Morgana liked that one.

 **REN:** Thfnaqwl

 **REN:** iial lag[lsk

 **REN:** Sorry, Morgana tried to stop me from sending that last message.

Nanako laughed.

 **NANAKO:** Talk to you guys later.

Then she shut off the ringer and slipped it into her pocket. She kept eating, but noticed that big bro was smiling over at her.

“What?” she asked.

“Just glad to see you made some friends. Feel free to invite them over. Just let me know ahead of time, okay?”

“Really? Thanks big bro.”

“Hey uh, Nanako…”

“Hm?”

Yu looked off into the distance for a moment, through the beautiful windows of their apartment and onto the Tokyo lights.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you the other day when you were asking about…you know. When you were a kid.”

“That’s all right,” Nanako said.

“No, it isn’t…I do want to protect you, but I don’t know what the right thing is. The whole thing was very scary and…maybe it’s better if you don’t know.”

“Sometimes I have dreams,” Nanako whispered. Yu dropped his chopsticks.

“Dreams?”

“A red man in a white shirt,” Nanako said, choosing her words carefully. “And…you’re there.”

Yu pressed his eyes with his fingers. Nanako could sense the turmoil he was in about the whole thing.

“I think it’ll be better if you tell me. But…to be honest, I’m a little tired right now. Maybe we could talk about it soon, though?”

Big bro took a deep breath and nodded.

“Yes. Soon. I promise.”

=====

SOCIAL LINK RANK UP   
Hierophant: Yu Narukami  
Level 2


	68. 4/17 - Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako gets a text.

Nanako took a long bath, did a little studying and went to bed, feeling ready to fall into a deep sleep.

 _Pi pi pi_.

She groaned, rolled over and grabbed her phone.

 **REN:** Sorry, I know it’s late.

Nanako sat bolt upright in her bed.

 **NANAKO** : No problem! I wasn’t even asleep yet.   
**NANAKO:** What’s up?

 _Come on, Nanako, play it cool!_ She took a deep breath and tried to regain some composure, but it was nearly impossible. Her heart was thundering a million miles a minute, and she was pretty sure her hands were shaking a little.

This crush was getting way out of control. She needed to chill out!

 **REN:** We were supposed to hang out today.   
**NANAKO:** Oh, yeah. Well, Kamoshida is a little more important.   
**REN:** I don’t think that Ann should go in tomorrow. And Morgana said that the training he wants to take us to is still dangerous. We need a day off.  
 **REN:** So we can hang out tomorrow.  
 **REN:** If you want.

Nanako dropped her phone on her bed, grabbed her pillow, and squealed into it. Was this really happening!? Not only had Ren remembered their plans, but he was going out of his way to invite her again!?

Okay, okay, she needed to reply to this correctly. She needed to be cool. Collected. Just like him.

Oh, who was she kidding, she was who she was.

 **NANAKO:** That sounds great! Do you want to meet in Shibuya in the afternoon? We can check out Central Street. I haven’t really looked around yet.   
**REN:** Sure. Sounds fun.   
**REN:** See you then.

Nanako shut off her phone and fell back into bed, her heart still racing.

It was going to take her forever to fall asleep.


	69. 4/18 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako goes shopping.

Nanako chewed on her toast.

 _Pi pi pi_.

**SANO:** Oi, Dojima, you still coming today?

Oh crap! Nanako had completely forgotten about going over to see Sano. She looked at the time. She was supposed to meet Ren in the afternoon, so she was having a leisurely morning filled with Saturday morning cartoons and okay-ish coffee that big bro had brewed for her. She had been planning on spending the next couple of hours fretting about what to wear on her date.

Wait, was it a date? Or were they just hanging out? Ren didn’t use the word date, but it was kinda a date, right? Or was it like, a date to see if they should go on a date? Like a date date?

Bah, she had to focus! She did still need to get the holster.

**NANAKO** : Yes, if that’s okay.   
**SANO:** Yup. Here’s the address.

  
Nanako looked it up. It wasn’t too far. If she hurried out now, she could probably be there and back in time. She stuffed the rest of her toast in her mouth and struggled it down while she rushed into her room.

**NANAKO:** I’ll over there now.

“Uh, Nanako?” Big bro called from the living room. “You okay?”

“Yeah! Just forgot I was supposed to meet someone.”

“Aren’t you meeting someone in the afternoon?”

“I have a lot of meetings today!” Nanako stumbled out of her room. She had pulled a light white sundress with blue flowers on it, mostly because it was the easiest thing to put on. Her purse hung at table, which she realized now was very stupid because the gun was still inside it. Oh well, Yu at least had enough manners to not look through her stuff.

She contemplated bringing the Compendium. It wasn’t like she was going to go into the Metaverse today…it would be safer at home.

“Okay, I’ll be back for dinner, see you later!” Nanako said, rushing out the door.

“Hey, Nanako, don’t forget to-”

The door slammed.

“-…Call your dad. Oh well, I’m sure she’ll remember.”

The Sano Family Leatherworks was in a shitamachi section of Ueno. Nanako felt transported back in time the moment she stepped out of the train station and started walking through the cramped and cozy little streets. The storefront was definitely one of those old-fashioned tiny places, but the interior was very well organized. The whole place smelled of leather and had beautiful pieces on display - belts, wallets, purses, backpacks, it was all there. Halfway through the store was the counter, and behind that was the leatherworking station, where the walls were covered with tools. There were a couple of work benches - one was neat and orderly, the other was in the middle of some complicated project.

Sano greeted her without looking when she entered, the old bell clanging against the door.

“This is a nice place,” Nanako said. Sano jumped up from his work and spun around.

“Ah, Dojima! Welcome! Sorry, I was in the middle of something,” he said with a huge smile. He was wearing a plain blue denim shirt with a brown apron over it. Tool handles peaked out of the apron’s front pockets.

“No problem,” she said. “Anyway, I’m not bothering you in the middle of your work am I?”

“Nah, today’s grandpa’s day to watch the store, but he just tells me to handle everything so he can go across the street to drink tea and play shogi,” Sano said with a grin. He leaned forward conspiratorially. “But don’t tell my dad, okay?”

“Your secret is safe with me…speaking of secrets, I kinda mentioned before that this request is a little odd. Hopefully you won’t uh…you know…”

“On my honor as a leatherworker,” Sano said. Nanako shrugged. That was as best as she could do. She needed the holster, and short of stealing one from the Inaba police department, she wasn’t sure how else to get it.

“Okay well uh…here.”

Nanako reached into her purse, pulled out the gun, and set it on the counter. Sano jumped back.

“What the-!”

“Ah! Sorry, it’s not real! It’s just an airsoft gun!”

“Oh…geez, that looks very real.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Nah, it’s okay…so you want a holster for this, I take it?”

“Yeah,” Nanako said, trying to sound casual. She could tell that Sano was weighing whether or not he should pry more.

“Yeah, I mean, I could make one…” he said, picking up the gun. He did the same thing he did with the Compendium - seeming to take some sort of precise measurements with just his hands alone. He reached behind the counter and pulled out a notepad and started writing some things down. “I’ll need to measure you, though. Do you mind?”

“Oh, uh, no, that’s fine. Do you know how?”

“Yeah, done it a bunch,” he said. He set down his notepad and then grabbed a tailor’s tape measure. He walked around the counter and asked Nanako to raise her hands to the side. She did so, and she felt him touch her back gently. He then took a measurement around her waist. Then he went in front of her.

“Ah, sorry, I’ll be quick,” he said. Her arms still to the side, he then took a measurement near her bust, just beneath the swell of her breasts. Nanako felt a little warm, especially since Sano’s hands were so strong and warm and he smelled like leather, but he didn’t linger or try cop a feel. He wrote down some more notes, then looked at her for a moment.

“…One last one, if you don’t mind.”

“Go ahead,” she said.

He knelt beside her and then slid his hands very gently up her skirt, just a few inches. Nanako felt a sudden burst of nerves, but he stopped at her thigh and gently took a measurement of her leg. When he was done, he wrote that down too, then studied his notes for a long moment.

“Hmm…okay…I think…yes. Do you have a preference of hip, shoulder, or thigh holster?”

“Um. I mean, it uh…has to work with a school uniform,” Nanako blurted out. Why did she say that!? She was just too flustered from Sano being so close to her. And she hadn’t thought of an excuse ahead of time! Why hadn’t she!?

“Hey, Dojima,” Sano said, glancing around the store. “Answer me just one thing, will you?”

He leaned forward over the counter.

“Is this for a cosplay?” he whispered.

“Yes! Exactly!” Nanako blurted, scrambling to take the excuse. “A cosplay!”

“I knew it!” Sano said with a grin. “I knew you were into cosplay when I saw that huge book. That’s part of it too, right?”

“Yes, exactly right.”

“Well, I can definitely do this, and I have an idea in my head already…but uh…it’s gonna be kinda expensive. 30,000 yen, actually.”

“Whoah,” Nanako said impulsively. “I mean, not that your work isn’t worth that much! It’s really beautiful, and I still feel guilty for not paying for the book strap and-”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Sano said. “I know it’s a lot. I wouldn’t normally charge this much but uh…well, see, my dad hates cosplay. He thinks its a stupid waste of time and he hates it when anyone ever buys our stuff to use in a cosplay. But I think it’s awesome! And I think it could be a way for the shop to do more business. When I see cosplays with fake leather or plastic straps, it looks so stupid and I always think about how much better it would look if something we made was being used instead! So I totally support you, Dojima, and I think you can help me prove that it will look amazing and be a good source of income.”

“Oh. Uh, yeah, that’s great, I’ll totally help you out with that,” Nanako said.

“Yeah, but that’s why I feel bad about charging you so much. I’d do it for free, but, I’m going to have to order some things in secret, and…yeah…”

“That’s okay. I don’t have the money on me right now, but…”

“I’ll get started and then you pay when you can. It’ll take me a couple of days at least to get it done. We’ll just keep in touch.”

“Okay. Deal.”

They shook on it. Sano took his notepad paper and folded it up, slipping it into his jeans pocket.

“So do I get to know what the cosplay is or is it a secret?”

“Uh. A secret for now. But don’t worry, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Awesome! Can’t wait.”

“I gotta be going. Thanks again.”

“See ya, Dojima!”

Nanako walked back towards the station, frowning at herself.

Was she actually going to have to cosplay now!?

=====

SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
Strength: Satoishi Sano  
Level 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on my research a SHITAMACHI is a section of "down town" Tokyo that is still in the old-school designs from the end of the Edo period. There's one in Ueno, so that's where I figured a traditional leatherworker might have their shop. That said, I'm not a super expert on Japan and I may have messed that up (cause there's only so much research I'll do for a fanfic, lol) so apologies if I got something wrong!
> 
> Especially to you, Nick, if for some reason you read this far...


	70. 4/18 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date.

She wasn’t going to have time to change. Nanako supposed that the white and blue sundress would work…it was pretty cute. She switched to the camera of her phone and used it as a mirror, adjusting her hair.

Should she ditch the twin tails?

She’d worn them all the time as a kid. It was her signature look the year that big bro had come to live with her - not that she had been old enough to think of things like a signature look. The year after, Nanako had tried her hair down, hoping to look more grown up as a seven year old.

It was Rise that had taught her about “signature looks.” After all, Rise herself had twin tails as part of her hairstyle, which had become closely associated with her Risette idol persona. Even when she did other things with her hair, there were usually some parts of it that were tied in twin tail-like fashion. As an eight year old, Nanako had figured that if she was going to emulate anyone, Rise was a good place to start.

So by nine she had adopted the twin tails permanently. They grew longer, of course, with the hair landing just below her shoulder blades. But now she was questioning whether or not it was the best choice.

Her hair wasn’t like Rise’s. It wasn’t a gorgeous auburn with just enough volume and wave to it to make it look as if it was always flowing in the wind, or that she had just stepped out of some exotic locale. Her hair wasn’t like Ann’s either - American blonde with a natural body and thickness to it that Nanako would never have. No, Nanako’s hair was…flat. Stringy.

Girlish?

She couldn’t change it now, though, the train was coming to a stop at the station. She took a deep breath and stood up straight. She just had to be herself, right? That would be enough.

Oh who was she kidding, Ren was way cooler than she was, there was no way a plain girl like her had a chance…

She stepped onto the platform.

 _Pi pi pi_.

She dug into her purse and grabbed her phone.

“Hey.”

“Ack!” Nanako jumped, startled, her phone slipping out of her hand. Before she could even think about reaching for it, a hand snapped out and caught it mid-tumble.

“Sorry,” Ren said. He handed her the phone.

“You’re always sneaking around. You’re too graceful for your own good,” Nanako said as she slipped the phone into her purse.

“I was messaging you to find out where you were and I just saw you there so…here I am,” he said, looking a little sheepish behind his glasses.

The train departed, leaving the two of them relatively alone on the platform.

“Are you really going to wear these right now?” Nanako said.

“Huh?”

“Your glasses. You don’t need them,” Nanako said. Surprising even herself, she reached up and delicately slipped them off of Ren’s face. He was completely motionless as she did this, but his eyes seemed to transform as she pulled the glasses away.

“I know why you wear them but…do you really need them with me?”

Nanako tucked them into the front pocket of his shirt. He was wearing a white button down shirt over a black t-shirt, which suited him really well.

He grinned his Joker grin, full of cunning and slickness.

“If you insist. Come on, let’s check it out.”

They walked up side by side into the famous Shibuya Central Crossing. Nanako saw it every day when she went to school, but it had a different effect on the weekend, with a sea of people swirling all around them. They waited for the signal to turn, then rode the wave of the crowd into the shopping area.

What Nanako was surprised about more than anything was how comfortable she felt. The nerves that had jittered through her all last night and this morning had faded. Yes, she was still excited to be there with him, but…it was nice. Relaxed. She felt like she could act naturally around him as they wandered in and out of stores.

“There’s so much!” Nanako said enthusiastically. “So many people, so many stores! It’s kinda thrilling in a way.”

“It’s definitely not Inaba.”

“It’s not even Okina City,” Nanako said. “It’s on a whole other level of…city-ness.”

“Do you like the city?” Ren asked.

“Yeah, I guess I do. I always loved visiting my big bro when I was younger. What about you? Did you come to Tokyo much?”

“When I was younger, yes. My parents would come in for work a lot, sometimes they would bring me. They stopped when I got to middle school, though. They said I needed the focus and calm of Inaba.”

“Mmm. It is pretty calm back home…” Nanako said, trailing off. She thought bout a couple of days ago, when Ren and her had rode the train together to school. He had said that he should want a quiet life in Inaba where nothing bad happens to you, and that Nanako should want it too. She still wasn’t sure if talking about home was a good idea or not, so she decided to drop it.

“Hey, you hungry? I haven’t had lunch yet, and there’s some amazing ramen places here.”

“Let’s do it.”

They decided to go for one of the more famous ramen places, so they had to wait a bit for a table. Again, they stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

“You look nice, by the way,” Ren said. Nanako felt her heart jump into overdrive.

“Thanks. You too.”

“I would look better in that jacket,” Ren said, smirking, referring to a jacket he had tried on two stores ago.

“It was hideous,” Nanako said.

“I think it was flattering.”

“It was _puce_. It totally washed out your skin. You don’t have the lip color for it, either.”

“I could wear lipstick,” Ren suggested.

“Now _there’s_ an idea. If you get a matching lipstick shade, I’ll buy you that jacket.”

“Done,” Ren said, his Joker grin flashing for just a moment. Nanako bumped him with her shoulder.

“Well, don’t skimp on it, cheap lipstick looks cheap.”

“I didn’t expect you to be so knowledgeable in fashion,” Ren said. Nanako shrugged.

“I guess I picked up a few things here and there from my friends,” Nanako said.

“You mean Risette.”

Nanako shot a look up at him. “How’d you know?”

“How’d I know what? That you’re friends with Risette? She’s literally the most famous person from Inaba, how could I not know that? Plus didn’t she date your brother?”

“Yeah, for a year when they were in high school,” Nanako said. “Huh. I guess I never realized that people would know that about me.”

“You were pretty famous in middle school,” Ren said.

“Huh? I was?”

Before she could corner an answer out of him the hostess came to tell them that their table was ready. Smooth as silk, Ren slipped away from Nanako and followed the hostess to their seats.

They ordered and ate. Nanako was surprised at the ramen - it was filling but also very delicately delicious - not too salty or spicy. It was one of those meals that made her feel nourished and satisfied deep down to her core.

They paid for their meals and stepped back into the street.

“So what was that you were saying about me being famous?” Nanako asked.

“You’re not going to let that go?”

“You can’t just casually bring that up without explaining it! I mean, I thought I was pretty normal, and-”

Nanako stopped. Something had caught her eye - a peculiar motion that just didn’t fit with the rest of the bustle of walking down the street. There was a man about ten feet in front of her wearing a short sleeved shirt and who had eyes rapidly shifting from one side to the other, always on the lookout. The man bumped into an elderly lady. He apologized and helped steady her but there was something about his hands that she couldn’t track.

He had just stolen something out of her purse!

“Hey!” Nanako called out. The man kept walking forward, ignoring her. Nanako glared.

“Hey, I said! You there, stop!”

The man kept rushing forward, his walk turning into a slow trot. Nanako sneered and started for him.

“Nanako what are you-”

Ren stepped in front of her at the exact wrong moment. Their feet got tangled and they both started falling towards the ground. In a blur, Ren spun himself in front of Nanako and managed to catch her in a falling dip, much like he did the day they needed to avoid Chie.

“Let go! He’s getting away!”

Nanako struggled, but their balance was awkward and it took her a few seconds to get back on her feet. By the time she was upright, the thief was gone.

“No! Augh, Ren, that was-”

She spun around to scold him, but he was gone too. It took a moment for her eyes lock on him - when they did, she saw that he was tapping the elderly woman on the shoulder.

“Excuse me, but I think you dropped this,” Ren said, handing her a wallet.

“Oh! Oh my, that would’ve been terrible! Thank you so much, young man! There’s still good in our youth after all,” the woman said.

“Have a good afternoon,” Ren said with a slight bow. Then he slipped his way through the crowd back to Nanako. The two of them started walking again, back towards the crossing.

Nanako stared in disbelief.

“How did you do that…?”

“I counter-pickpocketed him,” he said with a smug smile. “Nabbed it while we were tumbling down. He probably hasn’t realized it yet.”

Ren kept walking, but Nanako stopped. He stopped a few steps later, turning to face her.

Nanako held her chin, concentrating on Ren.

“I can’t figure you out…” she said. “Every time I think I’m getting somewhere, you just become more and more confusing.”

They stood for a few moments. Ren looked uncomfortable, his body tightening and slumping forward the way he did at school to hide himself. Nanako wanted to ask what he was thinking about, but decided to just wait it out.

“Nanako,” he finally said. “Do you want to see where I’m staying?”

Her eyes widened. “Sure.”

“Okay. Come on.”


	71. 4/18 - Afternoon, Leblanc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coffee Dad and backstory.

“A cafe?” Nanako asked.

They took the train to Yogen-Jaya and then walked through the cramped little streets until they stood in front of Leblanc. Nanako leaned forward to read the menu on the window.

“Coffee and curry?”

“It’s surprisingly good,” Ren said. He pushed open the door and the bell jangled above him. Nanako followed him in.

Nanako fell in love with Leblanc immediately. It was cozy, with dark wood furniture. The smell of the coffee swirled all around her and made her mouth water. There were several booths and a bar counter. A TV played on one end of the bar where a an older man with a beard was watching it absently.

“Oh, you’re back,” he said without looking. “Well I suppose you can…oh, hello,” he said, realizing Nanako was there.

“This is my friend, Nanako Dojima,” Ren said. “She’s from Inaba.”

“Oh? Well, that’s a surprise. I wouldn’t think a nice girl like you would hang out with this guy,” he said. He smile warmly. “I’m Sojiro Sakura, but most people around here call me Boss.”

“It’s great to meet you,” Nanako said with a bow. “Your shop is amazing! I love it. And the coffee…”

“Would you like a cup?”

“Yes please,” Nanako said, rushing over to the bar. “Oh! Look at all the varieties of beans you have…can I get a cup of the light roast Guatemalan?”

Boss chuckled. “Sure, coming right up. It’s nice to have a customer who knows what she wants and can appreciate it.”

“Ah, I’m not an expert or anything,” Nanako said. “My mom likes to try and blend some coffee at home, for fun.”

“That’s how I got started too,” Boss said. “Just a little hobby that became…well, something else.”

Nanako watched as Boss worked the flames, the water, the pour-over filter - they were motions he’d done a thousand times before and would probably do a thousand times after. It was watching the work of a master. By the time the clean white cup was set in front of her, Nanako could hardly wait. She took the first sip.

“Oh, it’s excellent!” Nanako said. “Thank you so much.”

“Well, you’re quite welcome.” Boss crossed his arms and looked at Nanako a moment. “So, you’re also from Inaba?”

“Yes, I grew up there,” Nanako said, still sipping the coffee.

“And how did you get to know Ren?”

“Ah, we went to school together, since middle school,” Nanako said.

“Hm…well, enjoy your coffee.”

Boss went back to watching the TV and tending to his curry pot. Nanako was curious about this coffee and curry combination, but she was still way too full from the ramen.

Ren had sat down at a booth and watched the whole exchange. He had put his glasses back on, too.

“We’re gonna head up for a bit,” Ren said.

“Sure, sure,” Boss said with a wave. “Just bring the cup down and wash it when she’s done with it.”

“Will do,” Ren said. She motioned for Nanako to follow. She picked up her cup and saucer and walked up the stairs, still sipping.

“Okay, seriously, this coffee is amazing, I’ll never be able to drink bad coffee again,” Nanako said as they marched up.

Then she forgot all about the coffee.

“This is…well, this is a storage room,” Nanako said. “You live here?”

“Yeah. It’s not so bad, really. Private, has lots of space. I even got a TV.”

“Is that a CRT? Can you even call it TV…”

Ren shrugged. “It’s fine for me.”

Ren moved a table over towards the couch so Nanako had a place to set her coffee. She sat at the couch while Ren pulled up a chair and sat across from her.

“Are you sure you’re okay here?” Nanako asked. “I insist, if you need help getting out of here, I’ll find it.”

“It’s really fine,” Ren said. “It’s a little messy and unconventional, I admit, but I kinda like it.”

“Okay…” Nanako said, hesitant. “Hey, you’re wearing your glasses again.”

“Did it ever occur to you I might actually need these?”

“No. Cause you don’t.”

Ren shrugged again and pulled them off, setting them on the table.

“Better?”

“Much.”

“Why do you hate them so much?” Ren asked.

“It’s not that I hate them, it’s just…I guess I feel like I want you to be more of yourself. And I think that when you’re not wearing the glasses you’re more of yourself.”

“You just want to see my eyes,” Ren said. Nanako felt her cheeks turn bright red.

“Er…I mean, you have nice eyes, sure, but-”

“It was a joke,” Ren said, smirking. Nanako gave him a faux-glare.

“Evading my sincerity are you?”

“Maybe a little.”

“I mean it, Ren. I like who you are, the real you. I want you to feel okay being the real you around me,” Nanako said.

“How do you know what the ‘real me’ is?” Ren challenged. Nanako felt a spark of competition and determination light inside her. Was this the “Dojima Talent” that Naoto was trying to draw out of her? Nanako wasn’t sure, but she decided she would just lean into this feeling.

“I guess I don’t. But I feel like I see glimpses of it here and there. Like when you and I broke into Yasogami High. Or when you counter-pickpocketed that guy. Or…well, any time you’re Joker. You look like you’re free.”

Ren nodded slowly, taking in Nanako’s words one by one, letting them roll around in his head. Suddenly he got up and walked over to one of the storage shelves and pulled out a cardboard box. He dug around in it for a few moments, then picked up something silver from the inside an returned to the table.

“You want to know the answer?”

“To what question?” Nanako asked.

“The one you keep asking. I actually answered it once before but…I didn’t tell you the whole truth. So, ask away. Also, put these on me.”

Ren set down a pair of handcuffs on the table. Nanako’s eyes widened.

“What…why do you…”

“It’s nothing weird, I promise. It’ll all make sense, once you ask.”

Nanako did as instructed, putting the handcuffs around his wrists and folding them shut gently. Once they were secured, Nanako sat back down. Ren pulled his hands from off the table and set them on his lap.

“How do you know how to do all these tricks?” Nanako asked.

“My parents taught me,” Ren said. “Look at the wall across from you, the poster in the corner.”

Nanako saw the poster, but it was pretty small. She got up so she could go read it.

“The Heavenly Jester, bender of reality,” Nanako read. “Your dad is a magician?”

“Yes. And my mom is a gymnast, of sorts. They met working in a traveling circus, of all things. They got married young and decided to break off from that circus and do their own acts. Mom is pretty amazing, she can do practically anything with her body that you can think of.”

“And she taught you those skills too,” Nanako said. “That’s why you’re so quick and strong.”

He nodded.

“And your dad taught you how to pick pockets and pick lockets and…”

“They both taught me everything they knew. When I was a kid, I loved it. My life was so magical, no other kid had parents like mine who could make anyone and everyone laugh and cheer. And they loved it too. They would perform in Tokyo sometimes, and I’d get to come along and see all the big city lights.”

Nanako returned to the table and finished the very last of her coffee. Ren was staring at the table now.

“It slowed down in middle school. They said I needed to study, find a career that would make me good money and be secure for life. I didn’t want to, though, I wanted to keep working with them and maybe join the act. But they didn’t want any of that. We had always sort of ‘lived’ in Inaba, but when middle school came my mom actually settled down and let my dad do all the touring.”

“How was that?” Nanako asked.

“It was fine. I got used to it. But I felt…I don’t know. Different. I had all of these skills that nobody else knew or understood, and I think at first people were impressed but then they got a little intimidated. So I had to slow down, not attract so much attention to myself. Not that it mattered, in the end.”

They sat in silence. There was so much tension in the air, but Nanako didn’t know what to do to break it. She desperately wanted to know more, but this was the most that Ren had ever shared with her before, and she didn’t want to push it.

“Um…” Nanako said, eloquently.

“Do you know what my father said when we left the court ruling?” Ren asked. “He said, ‘looks like society is trying to box you in and keep you chained up, son’. I asked him what I should do, what was going to happen to my life. I was scared. And then he told me this: ‘I’ve taught you everything I know. The chains are wrapped around you. So…’”

Ren set his hands back on the top of the table, handcuffs still hanging from his wrists. He suddenly lifted his wrists up and knocked them against the table.

The handcuffs opened and fell from his wrists.

“Escape.”

“That’s…horrible,” Nanako said. “That’s horrible. He just…sent you away? He didn’t do anything else to help you?”

“I think….I think my parents are trying to help me. I just don’t understand how.”

“I don’t either. If something like that happened to me, my dad would never stop fighting it,” Nanako said.

“Yeah, he probably wouldn’t. But my parents are different, and I feel like there’s something else going on here I don’t understand. I mean, outside of Personas and the Metaverse.”

“What do you mean?” Nanako asked.

“Well…there are things that don’t add up. I can see schools not wanting to take me for my criminal record, but how did they get me in to _Shujin_ of all places? I was told that it was because of their need to show their good intentions of reforming someone like me, but I just don’t see it. They had to have pulled some strings to get me in there, I just don’t know what strings they had to pull. And then there’s Sojiro.”

“What about him?” Nanako asked. “He seems nice.”

“He is. But I never met him until a week ago. My parents never even mentioned him, and yet they suddenly have a friend willing to put me up? And assume legal guardianship, which puts himself in danger if I commit more crimes. Why would he do that for a kid he didn’t know? I just think…my parents are trying to do something for me. I just wish I knew what it was so I could follow it.”

“They could just tell you,” Nanako pointed out.

“Maybe. But they won’t.” Ren paused then laughed. “I guess being enigmatic runs in the family, huh?”

“A little,” Nanako said. “I’m sorry all this happened to you.”

He shrugged and folded his handcuffs back up and stuck them in his pocket. While he did that, Nanako checked the time on her phone. It was getting late.

“This was a lot of fun,” Nanako said. “But I have to go…I hope we’ll do it again some time.”

Ren nodded. She got up and headed for the stairs while Ren put his chair and table away.

“Hey, Nanako.”

She looked up.

“There was another question you asked that I never answered, back at the train. You asked if I thought you were a weird stalker.”

“I did,” Nanako said, feeling suddenly very anxious about this line of questioning.

“It was weird, like I said. And I do think you’d be happier going back to Inaba. But…”

He looked up at met her eyes directly. She did her best to keep her eyes focused on him, hoping that somehow her feelings would come through their gaze.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he said. Nanako smiled.

“Me too.”

“Come on, I’ll walk you to the station.”

=====

SOCIAL LINK RANK UP   
The Lovers: Ren Amamiya  
Level 2


	72. 4/18 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako gets a phone call.

“Thanks for dinner,” Yu said that evening. “It was especially good today.”

“It was no problem at all!” Nanako said, beaming like an idiot. She’d been elated all evening, still filled with the joy and excitement from her date with Ren. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t officially a date, she was going to treat it as one, and that was that!

“Let me clean up,” Yu said.

“No no, I got it. Didn’t you say you had some work to do?”

“Ah, yeah, some. You sure?”

“Yes, it’s fine.”

“Okay…don’t work too hard. I’ll be in my office if you need anything.”

Big bro retreated to his office and shut the door to work on whatever next idol article he needed to submit. Nanako cheerily did the dishes, trying to lock every moment of the afternoon into her memory - his eye lashes, the warmth of his hands, the fluidity of his gait, the way he crinkled his nose when he slurped ramen…she wanted all of it to be locked into her heart.

_Geez Nanako, aren’t you getting a little carried away? Are you letting this crush grow into something else? Something…big?_

Even thinking it to herself caused her to blush.

Her phone rang and she nearly dropped the pan in her hand. She set it down, dried her hands, and swiped the answer icon.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Nanako,” dad said. “It’s…been a while.”

“Oh, dad! Hi! Oh, shoot, it’s Sunday. I completely forgot to call you and mom, I’m sorry.”

“Y-yeah…so how’s it going? Good first week of school?”

“It’s been uh…interesting.”

“Interesting? Good interesting or bad interesting?”

Nanako paused. Like her failure this morning with Sano, she hadn’t thought about what to tell her dad about her life. The last week felt like it had taken a month, and there was so much to talk about, so much to process…but she couldn’t tell him any of it. So what could she tell him? The boring parts of school? How she chose not to join the volleyball team because the coach was a rapist? About how she found how he wasa rapist because she was standing in the courtyard when the star player tried to kill herself?

Even the parts that happened outside of the Metaverse were complicated.

She would have to think of a good story for her parents before her first visit back to Inaba. But for now, it was best to keep it vague.

“Good, for the most part,” Nanako said. “Things here are…harder than I thought they would be. But it’s fine! A little adversity is a good thing, you know?”

“Yes, I suppose it is. How is the volleyball team?”

“Oh, right, I decided not to do that.”

“Oh? Why not?”

“It just wasn’t a good fit. Oh, but I did join another club: the gardening club! I’m even an officer in it.”

“Oh, well that’s good. You always did like gardening here when you were younger,” dad said.

“Yeah.”

There was a long silence.

“So how about your friend? Everything going okay with that?”

“Um, yeah. It is.”

“Good. Well, things are good here. Your mom misses you a lot, so make sure you call her and text her often.”

“I will. What about you?”

“You know me, Nanako. I’m fine.”

A heavy guilt filled Nanako’s heart, one that she hadn’t felt since her first major lie to him two months ago. He missed her too, she knew that. He wasn’t admitting it though, because he was trying to be strong and supportive…and yet the “Dojima Mind” that Naoto had mentioned was working away in the background, trying to piece together the truth of Nanako’s life from her vague answers. And he was probably hurt by that - not just that he couldn’t figure it out, but the simple fact that he had to _try_ to figure it out. They were always so close, and now this secret was a gap between them that Nanako didn’t know how to cross.

But…it was just for a while. Once Kamoshida was brought to justice, then things could go back to normal.

“I love you, dad,” Nanako said.

“Love you too. Have a good night.”

He hung up.

Nanako sighed and finished with the dishes.

=====  
SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
Death: Ryotaro Dojima  
Level 1


	73. 4/18 - Early Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako job hunts.

-= 11 DAYS UNTIL EXPULSION =-

Nanako got to the station early on Monday. She went to every little news stand she could find in the station and grabbed all the fliers and listings for part-time jobs. She still needed 30,000 yen for Sano, and she couldn’t just ask her dad or big bro for that kind of money without an explanation. But, if she used some savings, maybe she could earn it quickly with the right job.

Armed with a stack of pamphlets she would look over on the train, she had one last idea while waiting at the platform.

 **NANAKO:** Hey, I know I’m in Tokyo right now, but is there anything I could help you out with? I need to earn some money.   
**KANJI:** Hm…maybe. The last video we made together did real well.   
**NANAKO:** Really!? That’s cool! Put me in more videos!   
**KANJI:** Haha, no. Not without asking your dad first.  
 **KANJI:** Dojima-san scares the shit out of me.

Nanako laughed loud enough that people on the platform glanced at her. Nanako gave them a little wave and went back to texting .

 **NANAKO:** Okay, well, I’ll super appreciate it if you think of something! If not, that’s okay too.  
 **KANJI:** Hey you’re not in trouble or anything are you? If you need cash to bail you out of a jam, I’ll just send it to you.   
**NANAKO:** No no, nothing like that. Don’t worry.  
 **KANJI:** K.

Nanako put her phone in her bag, then grabbed a pencil and started flipping through the listings.


	74. 4/19 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mementos

_Beginning navigation._

“It’s called Mementos,” Mona said. Nanako was listening from around the corner while she finished changing into her other uniform. It was a real pain that her clothes didn’t magically transform…

“It’s the palace of the public. It doesn’t have a single ruler, or a single purpose, like in Kamoshida’s place. But it extends further and further. It might even be endless.”

“Dude…” Skull said, gazing around the tunnel in amazement. “It’s super spooky.”

“How did you even find this place?” asked Panther. Ann had decided on her code name during the meet up at the rooftop hideout. Nanako had to admit that she liked it a lot. She sorta wished she’d thought of that one…

“I don’t know,” Mona said. “It’s like I’m compelled to be here, though. I think…something deep down in Mementos has the key to what I am. It’s my memories, and my humanity, all buried down there. The problem is that it’s too huge to go down there alone. I mapped out some of it, but it’s almost pointless to do so. Things move in Mementos as the public perception changes. The tunnels turn into rooms, the rooms vanish and turn into dead ends, things get twisted and you can get lost really easily if you’re not careful. Fortunately, I can sense when we’re getting lower and I can always sense the way out.”

“And this is going to help us?” Nanako asked.

“There’s Shadows here, too. It’ll be a safer place to practice using your Personas without tipping off Kamoshida.”

“Sounds like a plan. But we’re going to get tired walking,” Skull pointed out.

“Don’t worry, I have that covered.”

Mona suddenly leapt into the air and burst into a cloud of smoke. A moment later, a black and white Citroen Type H van came crashing to the ground. It had blue eyes and a tail.

“Whoah!” Nanako said. “You transformed! That’s so cool!”

“How is that possible?” Panther asked.

“Cognition. For some reason, the public believes that cats can transform into vehicles.”

“My Neighbor Totoro,” Nanako said.

“Who?” Mona asked.

“Nevermind,” Nanako said, feeling a little embarrassed.

“Let’s go,” Joker said.

“Mona, your interior is very comfortable,” Nanako said. She wasn’t sure why she felt compelled to mention it. Maybe it was just the guilt of being carried around on Mona’s back. Or…in his stomach? Okay, she didn’t really want to think about where she was anymore…

“Comfortable and stylish,” Mona said, proud.

The drone of Mona’s engine was surprisingly comfortable too. It was a giant purr, Nanako realized, and it was kinda making her sleepy.

She leaned on the window and watched.

The twisted subway of Mementos was eerie. Sometimes it would look like the station, and Nanako would forget where she was, hypnotized by the passing pillars. Then suddenly the wall would shift and warp, the track would twist, and red would leak out of the black void, as if Mementos itself was reaching out for them.

“Doesn’t the wind sound like voices?” Panther mentioned.

“Aw, why’d you have to go and say that…” Skull groaned.

“You doing okay?” Nanako asked Joker. He was behind the wheel, focused entirely on steering them through the twists and turns. Skull and Panther were in the second row, with Nanako in the front next to Joker.

“Yeah.”

“Let us know if you need to switch out,” Nanako said.

“What? I don’t know how to drive,” Panther said.

“Oh, really? I guess it’s different out in Inaba. I learned to drive in the country roads when I was eleven. My grandfather taught me.”

“Same with me,” Joker said.

“Huh, guess country living has advantages after all,” Skull said.

Nanako went back to leaning against the window.

“Eep!”

Nanako slammed herself against the door and pushed it open. With one hand she held onto the door, hanging off the side. With the other, she had her gun drawn.

_Blam blam blam!_

The shadow, a hulking black figure with dozens of faces emerging from its oozing surface, stumbled backwards into the wall, clutching at the three holes Nanako just put in its chest.

Joker turned the wheel hard. Mona slid to a stop while Nanako dropped out of the car, her gun still trained at the injured shadow.

“Shit, Angel, my ears,” Skull complained as he jumped out of the car behind her. “A little warning next time.”

“It’s not my fault the shadow came leaping out of the…well, shadows.”

“What do we do now?” Panther asked, holding her whip in both hands, gripping it apprehensively.

“Finish it off,” Joker said, striding up from behind them. He walked with such easy-going confidence, his coat flagging behind him. Mona was at his side, cutlass resting on his shoulder. “Nice reaction time, Angel.”

“Thanks…but, Mona, this thing is hideous,” Nanako said.

“Like I said, the palace of the public. The shadows here won’t have a cognitive shape like in Kamoshida’s palace. Doesn’t make them less dangerous.”

“Hey, it’s transforming,” Skull pointed out, hefting his pipe into position.

“Panther, take the lead,” Joker ordered. Panther nodded, stepping forward and watching with morbid curiosity as the shadow melted into the form of a golden pot with a turquoise devil peeking out of it.

“Agathion,” Nanako said, the name leaping from the Compendium into her mind. She wasn’t sure how she knew that’s how the information was getting to her, but she did.

“Time to take it down, Carmen! Persona!”

Nanako watched as Panther struck a pose while pulling off her mask. Carmen materialized behind her, and Nanako was struck with a sudden realization that she didn’t know how she was posing when she was summoning a Persona…she’d have to try that out in a mirror.

“Agi!”

Carmen gave a yank on her chain, choking one of the heart-headed slaves. It leaned forward and an intense of river of fire erupted out of its mouth. The fire hit Agathion square in the center and was incinerated immediately.

“Hey, more behind us!” Skull called out. “Captain Kidd!”

Nanako spun around and watched more shadows emerge, already transforming: two Jack o’ Lanterns and a Bicorn.

“Zio!”

Captain Kidd fired an incredible lance of lightning, a jagged crack of light that split the sky. It struck Bicorn on one of its horns and surged the electricity through its body from head to toe. Before the attack was even finished, Bicornwas melting.

“Agi!”

“No wait, Panther!” Mona called out. It was too late - Panther leaned forward in a three-point pose, Carmen flourished herself in a spin, and a new tornado of fire tumbled towards one of the Jack o’ Lanterns. The Jack laughed and held up its lantern. The lantern’s door opened and the fire absorbed into the flame, seeming to make the Jack even stronger.

“What the-” Panther said, shocked.

Nanako unsnapped the Compendium. The pages fluttered to the Hermit arcana.

“Forneus! Bufu!”

Nanako crushed the card. The flying manta-like creature appeared over her head and swooped forward. A ball of ice gathered at the end of its tail until it was the size of a small boulder. The Persona hurled the ice forward, aimed directly at the lantern. Before the Jack could close it, the ice struck the fire. The lantern shattered, the fire died, and the rest of the Jack melted into shadow.

“But I don’t…” Panther muttered.

“There’s a lot to learn. Just stay on your toes,” Joker said. “If magic won’t work…”

Panther nodded. She dashed forward and swung her whip.

The whip slapped harmlessly across the Jack’s face.

“Come on!” Panther yelled, frustration building in her voice. The Jack held up his lantern, fire gathering inside of it.

A pipe crashed down on its head, folding the hat and cracking the pumpkin’s shell.

“Die!” Skull yelled.

“I’ll protect you, Lady Ann!”

Mona’s cutlass sliced into the crack made by Skull’s pipe and severed the shadow clean in half.

“Nice job everyone,” Mona said, bouncing up and down happily. Skull rested his pipe on his shoulders, a satisfied smirk on his face.

Mona focused on transforming into a car again, and the boys loaded up. Panther stood there a moment, staring at her whip.

“Hey,” Nanako said. “I messed up a lot the first time too. This is why we’re here. To practice. Right?”

Panther made a face that Nanako couldn’t read, especially with the mask. Then she gripped the whip tighter.

“R-right. Let’s go.”


	75. 4/19 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako invites a friend over.

**YU:** I’ll be out late at work tonight, so don’t wait up for me.   
**YU:** I’ll be eating here too. Finish up the leftovers if you want.

Nanako had made enough the night before that there was plenty to eat. More than enough for two people, actually. And that gave Nanako an idea.

 **NANAKO:** Hey, how are you feeling?   
**ANN:** Exhausted. You?   
**NANAKO:** Same. But I have leftovers.   
**NANAKO:** I actually have too many leftovers. You wanna come down and have some?   
**ANN:** I don’t want to be a bother.  
 **NANAKO:** You’d be doing me a favor. I don’t want to throw this food out and I’m here alone.

Nanako worked on reheating the food, waiting for the response. Five minutes went by before she heard the reliable _pi pi pi_ of her phone.

 **ANN:** Okay. I’ll be down.

Nanako sent Ann the specific room number and finished preparing dinner.

“Wow, this looks really good,” Ann said. The two of them sat at the table with the dazzling lights of Shibuya streaming in through the windows. The TV was on low.

“Thanks! I hope you like it.”

Ann’s eyes widened. “You _made_ this?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, I did. It’s nothing special.”

Ann took the first few bites.

“Oh wow, this is great!” she said, her face beaming in a genuine smile. “You’re a real master!”

“Ah, no, I just know a few basics,” Nanako said. She was actually feeling a little embarrassed.

“Did your mom teach you?” Ann asked.

“Yes, she did teach me a lot, though I’ve been cooking since I was real young. I don’t know how good it was back then, but my dad never complained about it.”

“How come she didn’t cook back then?” Ann asked.

“Oh, right, I should explain. My first mom died when I was really little. It was just me and dad for a long time.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry…”

“It’s okay, you didn’t know. And my dad got remarried a while back. My new mom is amazing, and she was the one who helped me improve my cooking. I enjoy doing it, it’s kinda relaxing.”

“Not for me, it always stresses me out,” Ann said.

“You probably just don’t have enough practice. Who does the cooking in your family?”

“Um. You know I’m not really sure…”

“Huh?” Nanako said. “What do you mean?”

“I just…huh…I can’t remember.” Ann looked out at the city. “That’s weird. I really can’t remember the last time we cooked together.”

“You eat a lot of takeout?”

“Mm, yeah, pretty much. My parents live overseas.”

“You live here alone?”

“Most of the time. They call a lot though, so it’s okay,” Ann said, shooting another big smile Nanako’s way. Ann had a smile that reminded Nanako of Rise - it was dazzling and magnetic and felt like switching on a spotlight.

They ate.

“Hey, Ann…we’re friends, right? At least, we’re teammates,” Nanako said.

“Hm? Oh, uh…yeah, I guess so. Why?”

“Can I ask if you’re okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I’m sorry I didn’t do so well today in Mementos. I guess I’m still getting used to my Persona and all the rules of the Metaverse and-…well, don’t worry. I won’t let you down.”

“That’s not what I meant, Ann-chan,” Nanako said. “I mean are _you_ okay. I guess I just saw a lot of anger today in the Metaverse so I was wondering if you had talked about this to anyone and…well, then you said your parents don’t live here…do you have any other friends?”

“…Just Shiho.”

“You shouldn’t be going through this alone!”

Ann jumped back, startled. Nanako was startled too, surprised at her fervor.

“Sorry about that. I just…I dunno, it’s been a lot the last few days. It’s been a lot for me too, but it has to be even worse for you. And I have family here, and I had the boys to talk to.”

“Mm.” Ann turned away, looking out the window again.

“I’m sorry, I’m being too nosy. I just…I dunno, I thought maybe you needed a friend.”

“I do,” she whispered. “To be honest, I don’t think I’ve been dealing with it very well. You’re right…I am angry. I’m more than angry. I hate him. I hate his very existence. I want nothing more than to make him pay a thousand times over for what he’s done to my Shiho.”

Ann turned to look at Nanako. Tears glistened in her eyes.

“I think Carmen’s fire comes from my hate for him. That heat, that destruction, I feel that in my chest all day. I want him to feel it instead. But I can’t. I can’t even swing the stupid whip right!”

Ann balled up her fists in frustration, pounding them on the table. The plates rattled. Ann suddenly drew her hands in, embarrassed.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You have every right to be mad. He needs to face justice. And I promise you, Ann, I will help you get it. For Suzui, and for you. And…I think I know someone who can help with the whip.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, well, I have some…interesting friends. I’ll ask her later.”

“Wow…you’re something else, Nanako,” Ann said, pushing a sad smile onto her face.

“So are you, Ann-chan. I mean, you’re going through a hellish time, and you’re still fighting back. You have a lot of resolve and courage. But you shouldn’t do it all alone. If you need another friend, then rely on me! You can come down whenever you want. I’ll cook, and you can meet my big bro, you’ll like him. And we can talk about whatever you need, or nothing at all. We can just watch TV! I love TV.”

Nanako clamped her hand on her mouth.

“Sorry, I’m being way too pushy…”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Ann said with a laugh. “It sounds nice. I could use another friend.”

“Good.”

Nanako collected the dishes and washed them while Ann plopped on the couch and started flipping through the channels.

“Hey, do you like _Sing Song Masquerade?_ ” Ann asked.

“I love that show! Is there a new episode?”

“Yeah, right now!”

“Ack, hold on, I’ll be right there!”

Nanako rushed to finish the dishes.

=====

SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
The Star: Ann Takamaki  
Level 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nanako gets to do evening social links after Mementos because Morgana isn't there yelling at her to go to bed.


	76. 4/19 - Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've been waiting for this.

Chie needed to beat something.

It wasn’t that she was ungrateful for the special assignment. Naoto had probably saved her career from a long stint as a crossing guard or a meter maid. But it was a lot of sitting around and reading.

A lot of sitting.

And a lot of reading.

The world doesn’t talk enough about the grunt work involved in police work, Chie decided. There was just so much data to sift through, and most of it was useless and boring. Of course, Chie knew that you had to get rid of the bad data in order to find the good, but it could be so time consuming…

Firstly, Chie knew that she was getting the worst of the grunt work. Every day she showed up, Sae Nijima had a new stack of files that she needed to go through. Chie would read them, summarize them, take notes, and turn them in. Nijima would read over Chie’s notes in a few minutes, nod, then tell her that was enough for the day. Which told Chie that Nijima already knew that the data was pretty useless, and that Chie was just there to make sure it was useless.

Which was useless.

But Naoto needed her help, so she’d give it. There was something deeper going on here, and while Naoto hadn’t shared everything yet, Chie knew enough to take this seriously. And if doing the police equivalent of homework meant that she could help Naoto get to her goals, then she’d do it.

Especially if it helped them find Teddie.

But after a week of mostly sitting and reading, Chie was aching for a heavy workout. Sure, she did her conditioning every day, but she needed a _real_ workout. She needed to sweat. She needed to feel her muscles ache. She needed to groan when she got out of bed tomorrow and mumble to herself that she had gone too hard the night before.

So she went to the gym.

It was a cop gym, which is to say that it was where a lot of cops went. It was also a cop gym because it was half-owned by a cop, which was probably why cops came to it in the first place.

It’s not a fancy place. In fact, it’s kinda drab and dingy, Chie decided. The floor was cracked, the mirrors were chipped, and the equipment was showing its age. A lot of the heavy bags had been hand stitched back together.

But it was cheap, and had a cop discount!

She was working at the heavy bag, her hands wrapped. She wore just tight fitting shorts, a sports bra, and loose green tanktop that had AMAGI INN written across the front. Chie darted left and right, peppering the heavy bag with carefully targeted punches, each blow landing with a satisfying snap. She was really in the zone, a semi-meditative state of precision movements. The endorphins from the workout were giving her that “athlete’s high” that she so loved.

If only she could be in this zone all the time.

This was all she really needed. A cheap gym with an okay atmosphere and the space to let loose.

Actually, there was one other reason that she liked this gym so much, but if she let her mind wander in that direction she’d lose her focus for sure.

A door closed nearby. Chie glanced over, and her focus shattered.

There was the other reason. He was tall and hunky, with platinum blonde hair. He wore a brown suit with a well-fitted jacket a white shirt and a scarlet tie. He held a briefcase in one hand. His badge was attached to his belt at his hip.

Now was the chance! She felt hopped up enough on endorphins and frustration that Chie decided that she was going to shoot her shot. She raised her hand to try and get his attention, but stopped before she spoke.

She was kinda a sweaty mess. Did she really want to flirt with him like this?

Chie peeled off her tank top and used it to wipe her face and neck, then balled it up and tossed it on her gym bag. That was better.

“Hey, Lieutenant Sanada!” Chie called over. The hunky cop stopped and turned, and smiled.

“Officer Satonaka,” he said. “How’s it going?”

Chie beamed at Akihiko Sanada. As a Lieutenant, Sanada outranked Chie by quite a bit, but it was the little things he did that Chie found so admirable - like remembering the name of a grunt officer like her. He exuded natural leadership. People wanted to follow him and listen to him, and he never abused that power. He was firm, but fair. Strict, but compassionate. And unlike so many other Tokyo cops, Akihiko Sanada’s sense of duty and justice hadn’t become cynical.

And he was also just so hot.

One time Chie saw him working out and he lifted the bottom of his shirt to wipe some sweat, and there were just so many abs. She wanted to inspect each and every muscle. With her lips. Several times.

“Officer Satonaka…?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry! It’s going pretty well, yourself?”

“Not bad. Can’t say things have been as exciting as they were for you, though. Was it fun sliding down that part of the escalator? I’ve alway wondered.”

Chie laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head while she felt her whole body turn red with embarrassment.

“Ah ha ha…so you heard about that?”

“I think everyone did. It’s what scored you that special assignment, right?”

“You heard about _that_?”

“Well, I am a Lieutenant,” Sanada said with a smile. “Though I don’t know what you’re doing exactly, just heard it was special. It’s not meter maiding, is it?”

“No, it really is a special assignment.”

“Good. I know the chief thought it was reckless, but I thought it was a good catch. More officers should be as skilled and dedicated as you.”

“Thanks,” Chie said, blushing all over again. “So uh, you just finish a workout or about to start one?”

“Ah, no workout for me today. Just came in to do paperwork and pay bills…Satonaka, if anyone offers to start a gym with you, say no, it’s too much work.”

“Ah, but then where would all the cops go to show off to each other?”

“Don’t we do that enough in the job?” Sanada asked with a smile. “I don’t suppose you want to buy into Tartarus gym?”

“Mm, tempting, but someone recently told me that if someone offers to start a gym with me, I should say no.”

“Touche.”

“And it’s too bad you’re heading out, I’ve been practicing those strikes you told me. I was going to show you my improvement.”

Chie decided to stretch her arms above her head at that moment. She wasn’t overly blessed anywhere in the “hot woman” department, but she was in great shape, and Chie just had to hope that Sanada was into that sort of thing. She wondered if he wanted to inspect her muscles with his lips…

Sanada grinned and pulled off his jacket.

“I guess I have a little time.”

Sanada went to the opposite side of hte heavy bag and braced it against his body and shoulder. Chie took up a boxing stance.

“Jab, jab, cross,” Sanada ordered. Chie executed. Sanada tossed out command after command, building longer and longer combinations with less and less rest time in between. By the end, Chie was breathing hard, but she was proud of her progress.

“Impressive speed, control, and memory,” Sanada said, leaning on the bag. “You’re quite amazing, Satonaka…but you need more power in your strikes.”

“I can give you more power. One more combo,” Chie said. Sanada shrugged and yelled out one last combination.

Chie executed it. Mostly.

The last command, which called for a right cross, was ignored. Instead, Chie spun around once and let loose a powerful back kick.

It was a little _too_ powerful.

The blow shuddered through the heavy bag and sent Sanada flying to the ground as he lost his balance. Unfortunately, he had grabbed onto the bag to try and balance himself, and the angle was _just so_ on the bag that the whole thing came sliding off its hook. Sanada fell onto his back, heavy bag on him.

“Oh no no no! I’m sorry! Are you okay!?”

Sanada laughed as he and Chie pulled the bag off of him.

“My fault. I deserve it for saying you lacked power.”

“I still feel terrible, you weren’t ready for it and I was just…you know…” Chie felt herself blushing again. “Trying to show off.”

“It’s okay, really,” Sanada insisted.

“Maybe I can make it up to you?”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, like, you know…maybe I could take you out for dinner? Unless you know, that’s like, improper conduct for a Lieutenant,” Chie said, laughing nervously at her bad joke.

Sanada, who had been eyeing her curiously, suddenly grew serious.

“Ah, right, hm, good point, that might be inappropriate…”

“Huh? No, wait I didn’t mean-”

“My apologies, Officer Satonaka, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I should be going, I’ll see you around.”

In a blur, Akihiko Sanada picked up his coat and brief case and had strode out of Tartarus Gym before Chie could glue three words togther.

“Stupid, Chie. Stupid stupid stupid,” she said, smacking herself with her palm.

She pulled her tanktop back on, cleaned up her spot, and gathered her things. She then reached into her bag and grabbed her phone so she could moan to Yukiko about how stupid she was.

There was already a text.

 **NANAKO:** Hey, Chie! I was wondering if I could get your advice on something.  
 **NANAKO:** Well, training specifically. Do you have any time soon?

Chie sighed and answered.

 **CHIE:** Sure, tomorrow okay?   
**NANAKO:** Great! I’ll text you later.   
**CHIE:** Good night, Nanako-chan.

Chie groaned. She might as well help Nanako.

Not like she had anything else going on…


	77. 4/20 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Math class

“Though we often speak of sound and light together, light moves exponentially faster than sound does. Sound moves at a blistering 343 meters per second, but light travels at 186,000 meters per second. This is why there can be a discrepancy from when you see lightning in the sky and when you hear the thunder,” Usami-sensei explained during math class. She wrote the figures on the board and prepared a problem.

“Although Einstein theorizes that we can never break the speed of light, humans have made many machines that can break the sound barrier. Let’s see…Mishima-kun, do you know what the earliest invention that could break the sound barrier was?”

Mishima fidgeted in his seat, uncomfortable with all of his classmates looking at him.

“Um…I suppose probably a gun?”

“Mm, there are many guns that can fire bullets faster than the sound barrier, but there’s an even earlier invention. How about you, Dojima-san?”

“A whip, Usami-sensei,” Nanako answered.

“That’s right, very good. When cracked properly, the end of a bullwhip moves faster than the speed of sound. That’s what gives it the signature _cracking_ sound.”

Usami-sensei flounced her hand and made a _wat-chur_ sound with her mouth that made everyone feel uncomfortable.

Nanako felt like her knowledge grew a little.


	78. 4/20 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako goes to Gardening Club.

“Good afternoon, Nana-chan!”

Haru was already working on the soil when Nanako came up to the rooftop. The thieves had already decided to take a day off and recover, which worked out since their hideout was obviously already occupied.

“Hi, Haru-senpai,” Nanako said cheerfully. “How’s the garden?”

“It’s doing just fine,” Haru said with a satisfied sigh. “The drainage is working well, and the compost pile is just about ready to be finalized and mixed into the soil. Probably ready for next week.”

“How can I help?” Nanako asked, setting down her bag and the Compendium next to it. Now that Margaret had explained that people didn’t pay much attention to it, Nanako mostly carried the Compendium out in the open. The most anyone ever said of it was “what a large book” and then moved on.

“There’s not that much to do today. But you can help me finish up with the watering.”

Nanako and Haru set to work on the watering, which as Haru said, wasn’t much. Ten minutes later, they were already done. Nanako was putting away the supplies when Haru set down a cooler bag on the discarded table and unzipped it.

“Would you like a snack, Nana-chan?”

“Oh, that’s all right, you don’t have to.”

“Nonsense, I wouldn’t be a very good senpai or club president if I didn’t take care of my youngers. Please, I insist.”

Nanako watched as Haru spread out a blue and white checkered cloth for the surface of the table. Then she took out a couple of bottles of lemon iced tea and a small pink box that was tied together with a slim gold ribbon. Haru gave Nanako a bottle, then untied the ribbon of the box, carefully lifting the lid.

A beautiful strawberry cake was inside. Nanako could smell the strawberries the moment the lid was removed.

“Haru-senpai, this is gorgeous!”

“Wait until you taste it!”

Haru pulled out a couple of plates - actual glass plates - from the cooler bag. She then took out a silver cake server and sliced the cake into neat wedges and served them.

“Oh, the forks!”

Haru pulled out a pair of small silver dessert forks and handed one to Nanako.

“Please enjoy,” Haru said with a small bow. Nanako took a small edge of cake from the tip of the cake and set it delicately on her tongue.

“This is delicious!” Nanako exclaimed a little too loudly, holding the fork high in the air like a musketeer’s sword.

Embarrassed, Nanako lowered her fork. Haru just laughed.

“I’m so glad you like it.”

“It might be the best cake I’ve ever had,” Nanako said. “But this must have been expensive! You shouldn’t spend that kind of money on snacks for me.”

“O-oh, well…” Haru stammered. She had a strange look on her face, like a child that was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “It was sort of expensive, but don’t worry about it at all! And to be honest, I actually bought the cake for someone else. It just turns out that he doesn’t like strawberries…”

Haru frowned, grabbed her fork, and separated a bite from it. She thrust it into her mouth and began chewing decisively.

“It is exceptional cake though and I refuse to let it go to waste!”

A number of questions started running through Nanako’s head. Clearly, this would have been a very expensive cake, even if it was meant for someone else. This caliber cake and the mention of a “he” would suggest that Haru was planning on using it for a love confession. Except, that didn’t quite feel right. Finding out that he didn’t like strawberries would’ve evoked some sadness or embarrassment, but she seemed…angry. Which meant that maybe it was a cake not for a confession, but perhaps her boyfriend?

But it wasn’t enough anger to be a boyfriend, was it? Or maybe it was, and Haru was very good at containing her emotions. Or maybe it was a boyfriend, but the feelings weren’t very deep, or maybe the relationship was on its way to its conclusion.

Still, it was the stricken “caught” look that stirred Nanako’s curiosity. Haru almost seemed embarrassed that Nanako realized it was an expensive cake. Was Haru wealthy? It would explain why the cost of the cake didn’t matter as much as the person who had seemingly rejected it.

“His loss is our gain,” Nanako said, taking another bite. “Well, my gain, anyway.”

They laughed and chatted a bit about their favorite desserts and junk food. Haru’s tastes were very refined and delicate, except for one surprising revelation.

“My guiltiest pleasure is the vanilla milkshake from Big Bang Burger,” Haru said. “I know it’s terrible, but I can’t help it. It reminds me of my childhood. My father would get me one once in a while, and we’d just sit there and talk. That must sound rather strange.”

“Not at all. My guilty pleasure is even stranger: dango from Junes.”

“Junes? The department store?”

“Yeah,” Nanako said blushing and laughing at the same time. “I know, it’s so dumb, but it’s the same as your story. In Inaba, Junes is like the only modern convenience. The town was actually mad when it came in. When I was a kid I was so enthralled by it, and my dad would get me dango from the food court as a treat sometimes.”

“Wow…I guess childhood has a strong effect on us, doesn’t it?” Haru mused. “I never thought anyone would have such a strange story like mine…”

“I bet lots of people have stories like ours,” Nanako said with a smile. “Hm…speaking of Big Bang Burger, I wonder if they’re hiring.”

Haru glanced up so quickly her floofy curls bounced. “What? Why would you want to work there?”

“Hm? Oh, I don’t really want to work _there_ , I just need a job. I don’t think it would pay enough anyway…”

“Nana-chan, do you like kids?”

“Oh, uh. I suppose so, yes. Why?”

“Well, actually, there’s a family friend who is looking for someone to watch their daughter sometimes after school. The last person they hired couldn’t do it for this school year, and I was helping out for a while but…my circumstances have changed. I could introduce you, if you like. Mei-chan is a very serious girl, but she’s not a trouble or anything, and I’m sure they would pay well.”

“That sounds great! Please introduce me.”

“I’ll call them when I get home and contact you about the details later,” Haru said, smiling brightly. “Thank you for today, Nana-chan.”

“Thank me? You brought the cake and are going to get me a job, I should be thanking you, senpai.”

“Mm, well, then we can thank each other.”

They both did their most formal bows and laughed.

=====

SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
The Hermit: Haru   
Level 2


	79. 4/20 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chie Satonaka Workout

“Is that your PE uniform?” Chie asked.

“Ah, yes. Sorry, it’s all I had,” Nanako said. Which was sort of a lie. She had several sets of workout shorts, but they were all folded up into her Palace Bag. She could rewear the uniform a few times before it got totally gross, but she couldn’t wear the shorts more than once. So, she stood there in the bright red Shujin uniform in the middle of a pretty dingy gym.

“Is this place, um…safe?”

“Oh, very. It’s a cop gym, you’re probably safer here than anywhere else.”

“I really meant from a hygiene perspective…”

“It’s clean! Just a little rough around the edges. Like me!”

Chie grinned and Nanako giggled. Chie motioned her over to a vacant area next to one of the punching bags. She set her hands on her hips and gave Nanako a very determined look.

“Okay. What do you need help with?”

“Um, I was thinking along the lines of uh…this!”

Nanako held out the Compendium, book strap and all. She could almost see the question marks floating above Chie’s head.

“That’s..that’s a book, Nanako-chan.”

“Yeah, I know. But I mean this is Tokyo, not Inaba. It’s not exactly safe out here as it is at home, is it? And…well, I’m ashamed to tell you that I haven’t exactly kept up my training in the last few years. I need to know how to defend myself.”

“Yeah but wouldn’t you like to use a cooler weapon? Like a katana or a couple of knives?”

“I can’t carry those around. But a book bag might work?”

“Hmm…well, you should use what you have available. Okay, I think I understand what you’re going for. Repeat after me.”

Chie turned and faced the mirrored wall, taking a stance with her legs shoulder-width apart. She then raised her hands in front of her, moving them in slow, fluid motions. Nanako did her best to copy her and the movements.

“Not bad…try to feel the flow. Listen to the tension and release of your muscles.”

Nanako tried. This wasn’t exactly getting whip lessons for Ann, but this was the best that Nanako could figure. Swinging the Compendium was more like a flail than a whip, but she thought maybe she could help Ann apply the principles to the whip. Also, Nanako was going to look up every whip-cracking video that existed on YouTube.

“Mmm, not bad, but you’re still too stiff,” Chie said, her body now posed where she was on one foot while the other was extended forward in a frozen kick, her hands reaching out to touch her toes. Nanako lost her balance and gave up. Despite the very slow movements, Nanako was working up a sweat.

“How could I not be stiff? We’re barely moving.”

“Yes, but there’s a time for tension and a time for release. Be like water.”

“Water?”

Chie halted her pose and then held her hands behind her back, very sensei-like. “When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the water. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash.”

“That’s surprisingly profound for you, Chie-sensei.”

“It’s Bruce Lee- hey! I can be profound!”

“Oh, sorry,” Nanako saidlaughing. Chie grumbled but took another breath.

“In Kung Fu, power comes from generating energy and releasing it at the exact right moment - be loose and gather speed until you need to snap it into rigid power.”

“Like a whip?”

“Exactly! Yes, that’s exactly how whips work. Or wrecking balls, for that matter. Wrecking balls move relatively slow, but you wouldn’t say they were weak, would you?”

“So if I use my book like that…I could swinging it around and generate force and swing it even harder at the exact moment I want it to impact.”

“Now you’re getting it. What we just did was part of the Tai Chi 24 form. There’s a couple of other Tai Chi exercises we can do that will help you understand flow. Come a little closer.”

The two of them worked on some Tai Chi Push Hands exercises until Nanako was losing her concentration.

“Wow, I feel a lot more competent,” Nanako said. “Thanks for this, Chie-sensei.”

“You’re quite welcome, student,” Chie said, putting a fist in one palm in a traditional Chinese bow. “Don’t let your training slip. Call me any time, we can work out and practice.”

“Thanks…it really means a lot to me that you do this. I know you must be super busy.”

“I am, but you’re my Nanako-chan! You’re the little sister I never had.”

“You should come by the house sometime! You can have dinner with me and big bro.”

“Ah, yeah, I definitely will have to do that soon. I’ll cook for you!”

“Uh…n-no that’s okay…really…I’ll do it, I love it, and I’m the hostess so you can’t do any cooking at all, okay?”

“It was a joke, Nanako-chan. My cooking hasn’t gotten any better, I know my limits.”

Nanako was relieved. She gathered her stuff and headed back home.

Nanako felt like her proficiency grew from the training.


	80. 4/22 - Early Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako and Ann go to school.

-=9 DAYS UNTIL EXPULSION=-

“Morning!” Ann’s bright voice called. She was waiting for Nanako right outside their building.

“Good morning,” Nanako said with a yawn. “I got some advice about the whip. We’ll have to practice what I learned though.”

“Oh, amazing! You’re so overly reliable, Nanako-chan.”

The two of them went through the busy bustle of Shibuya on their way to the station.

“Do you think we should go into the palace today? It’s getting close, and I think we need to make a little more progress.”

“Mm, probably…I’m still worried about you and Ryuji. But it should be okay if we scout out a little more. We can work on the whip moves while we’re there too. Let’s ask Ren about it.”

“Hm, yeah, he sort of is the leader, isn’t he? How did that happen?”

Nanako shrugged. “You know, he’s just…leaderific.”

They both laughed and waited for the train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you happen to be a Yusuke/Ren fan, I made a bit of fluff as a present for my friend. Go check it out!


	81. 4/22 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise guest appears.

_Beginning navigation_.

They had to get farther today. Even if it was just a little bit farther, Nanako knew they needed to make progress. Joker had agreed with the assessment.

“We need to move quieter. Avoid confrontations with shadows if possible, and if we have to fight them, take them out quick and quiet,” Joker said.

“Agreed. We have to be careful because the palace is linked. The more times we’re caught by shadows, even if we eliminate them, it will stir up the others,” Mona reminded them. “No matter how powerful you get, you can’t just take the whole place on in an open fight.”

“Yeah, yeah, fine, we get it. Quit yer nagging,” Skull grumbled.

Nanako wondered if she should say something. It was pretty obvious that it was Panther and Skull who had impeded them so far, and she didn’t want them to feel judged or ostracized for it. But sometimes saying something was worse than letting it go.

She put on her glasses.

They made quick progress to the first safe room. Only one shadow nearly cornered them, but Joker’s Archangel knocked it out with a blast of bless energy before it even finished transforming into Incubus.

“This would be easier if we had a map,” Nanako said off-handedly while she sipped a bottle of water in the safe room. Mona crossed his arms.

“Hm…not a bad idea. I’m sure this place has a map somewhere. Might as well steal it along the way,” Mona said.

“Why would the palace have its own map?” Panther asked.

“Internal consistency of the Metaverse,” Mona said. “A castle would have a map stored somewhere, so this one must also have one. Think of it as portions of Kamoshida’s mind that put things in logical order.”

“Let’s go,” Joker said.

Mona led the party up the stairs. Despite his cartoonish cat shape, he was swift and dextrous, diving low behind an elaborate planter. Joker was right behind him, moving like quicksilver. He continued to be preternaturally graceful, bending effortlessly to hide behind even the smallest pieces of cover.

And then there was Nanako.

She tried to slide behind the planter after Mona left, but the Compendium swung across her chest and bumped into the top. The planter started to tip and Nanako scrambled to her feet to grab it. She leaned back, righted the balance, but lost her footing in the process, her shoes slipping on the checkered marble floor.

 _Bonk_.

She landed right on her butt.

“Come on…” she hissed to herself. More embarrassed than injured, Nanako got to her feet and rushed into the hallway.

At the exact same time a shadow turned to look down the hall.

“Hey!” it cried, mask already slipping from its face as it tapped into its full power. Nanako unsnapped the Compendium and flipped the pages with her left hand, holding out her right.

“Forneus, bufu!”

The creepy manta ray appeared again and let loose a blast of frost. Instead of aiming it at the charging shadow, however, Nanako had the Persona spread the ice in a thin layer across the floor. The shadow lost its footing and started skidding forward uncontrollably.

“Batter up!”

Skull leapt out and gave his pipe a hefty swing.The shadow’s head caved in, and it melted into ink.

“Nice move, Angel,” Panther said.

“Yeah, but it was also sloppy. You gotta be more careful,” Mona chided.

“I’m not a gymnast or a spy, I’m a high school student. And I’m pretty out of shape,” Nanako protested. “How am I supposed to zip around like you two?”

Mona gave Nanako an exasperated look.

“Cognition! You don’t have to be good at it, you just have to _believe_ you’re good at it. The cognitive effects of the Metaverse will do the rest.”

Oh. Hm. Nanako hadn’t thought about that. Mind over matter. She had assumed the Joker was using his natural skill because Nanako had seem him use it firsthand in the real world. Then again, Nanako had done well to keep up back in Inaba too, even though she was in even less shape than she was now.

How had she pulled that off?

Cognition, she supposed. She saw Ren do it, so she copied the mood, the style, the aesthetic of what he was doing. In copying it, her body reacted and created the same poise, grace, and stealth. She tried to do that now, to settle into the rhythm of being a phantom thief. She tried to long for the same stylish ease that Joker exuded. But Inaba had been full of thrills and romance.

Here, in this palace of lust, there was too much on the line. Nanako couldn’t relax. Her motions were stilted, she had a hard time knowing where to hold the gun, and everything felt laborious.

Water.

Be like water.

Nanako took a deep breath and shut her eyes.

When water went into a teapot, it became a teapot. So she could become this palace. She could become the planters, the pillars, the suits of armor and bookcases. She just had to relax. Allow her body to follow the shape of it.

She opened her eyes and rushed for the next piece of cover, the lower corner of the next corridor. She slid into a perfect crouch, with one eye peering around the corner.

“Nice,” Joker whispered. Nanako almost jumped - when did he get right behind her? But she managed to keep her cool.

“I’m starting to get the rhythm of it.”

“They aren’t,” Joker said. He made no indication, but Nanako knew. Panther and Skull were more athletic than Nanako, but they still had this aura of defiance about them that radiated in every direction. They were both itching for a fight, and it was like the shadows could sense it.

“We have to give them time. This is more personal for them than it is for us,” Nanako whispered.

“We don’t have a lot of time left.”

Joker was right about that. But this wasn’t the time to debate it. She slipped around the corner and rushed down the hall.

The next room was an archive. Beautiful shelves were surrounded by heavy iron bars between pillars with gaudy ornamentation. The most bitter irony of the situation was the map was sitting right on the wooden table.

“Can’t we just break the bars? Or melt them?” Skull asked, jerking a thumb towards Panther.

“We could, but it’ll take time and attract too much attention,” Mona said. “These goats are probably the locking mechanism, but we need to push them in the right order. Do it in the wrong order, and it’ll set off an alarm.”

“How are we supposed to figure that out?” Panther asked.

Before anyone could offer an answer, Joker reached out and pulled one.

“Hey, wait!” Nanako said. But it was too late. The lever was pulled. And nothing happened. The rest of the thieves watched in astonishment as he went from lever to lever, pulling them one by one. Soon a mechanism released somewhere and the bars slid down into the floor.

“How did you do that?” Panther asked. Joker shrugged.

“I have a good eye. Come on.”

Nanako went for the map first, staring at it intently, trying to commit it to memory. Who knew how long the map would last. Panther and Skull rummaged through the bookshelves while Mona and Joker examined the other papers on the table.

“Are these speeches?” Joker asked.

“Looks like…I wonder what for…”

“Hey, someone’s coming!” Skull hissed. Nanako folded the map and stuffed it into the Compendium, then slid underneath the table. Joker and Mona slid underneath the table with her, while Skull and Panther hid behind pillars on the far side of the door.

A single person walked in.

“No no, that won’t work…yes, if I put I that way…and then whisper in that committee person’s ear, then she’ll tell him…yes…and I just need to smile…lots of smiling, lots of sad shaking of my head…even those who already know the truth will look the other way if I play the role correctly…”

The voice was Kamoshida. Nanako felt her heart racing and her grip tightening on her gun. She looked over at Joker, waiting for a signal.

He held up a hand. He was concentrating on something. Thinking. So Nanako did the same.

What the heck was Joker waiting for? What did he see? No, he couldn’t see much either but…hear? Nanako focused carefully on Kamoshida’s muttering.

No, not Kamoshida.

Well, it was, but it wasn’t.

Kamoshida and King Kamoshida, his shadow, had the same voice. But the King had a distorted quality to his voice. This voice was distorted as well, but the attitude behind it was totally different.

“Mona,” Joker said, his voice barely above a whisper. “You got those things ready?”

“Hm? Oh. Hehe, thought you would never ask.”

“Right. Ready, Angel? Follow my lead.”

Mona handed Joker something.

Joker threw the table upwards. Scrolls tumbled to the ground, papers shot up in a flurry. Joker threw something at the ground in between himself and the strange new Kamoshida. Black smoke erupted between them. Nanako could hardly see.

“Mona!”Joker called.

Nanako could hear the sound of Joker’s grappling hook being fired, followed by a smug meow-chuckle from Mona.

“My other self, garu!”

Zorro materialized and with the stroke of his sword sent a blast of wind to clear the smoke.

Kneeling on the ground was a third Kamoshida, tied up in the grappling hook cable. Mona held the hook end while Joker still held the gun.

Nanako drew her gun and put it at the back of Kamoshida 3’s head. Only then did she start making observations.

Kamoshida 3 - Kamothreeda? - was thinner than either the King or the Real. He was paler and more nervous, tears already rolling down his cheeks in utter terror. Though he was bound in the grappling hook cable, Nanako could still see that Kamothreeda was wearing a fine tuxedo.

Like a butler.

“The hell is this?” Skull asked, rounded the corner with pipe in hand.

“It’s…hmm…” Nanako said. “It’s a third Kamoshida.”

“What, like a Kamothreeda?” Skull asked.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking!” Nanako said.

“Is it a cognition?” Joker asked. Mona glared at Kamothreeda.

“No…it’s not his shadow either. This is…something else. A portion of his shadow, maybe. Or a very powerful shadow who identifies too closely with Kamoshida.”

“Let me go! I didn’t do anything, I swear it! I’m innocent in all this. Do you think I had a choice?” Kamothreeda begged, his voice raw and panicked.

“Oh, so it’s the part of him that makes excuses,” Panther said snidely. She cracked her whip and Kamothreeda yelped in response.

“Palace security,” Joker demanded. “How do we get past it?”

“I-I can’t tell you that, if he finds out…”

Panther cracked her whip.

“If _I_ don’t find out, you’re dead,” she said.

“Please, no! The security isn’t that difficult to bypass. There’s a secret door behind the painting in the main hall. I don’t know if you can access it, but it’s the fastest way to the top! King Kamoshida likes shortcuts.”

“How many other secret passages are there?” Nanako asked.

“Many. H-here, let me see the map, I’ll make adjustments.”

“Don’t do it, it’s a trap,” Mona said. Nanako glanced at Joker, who made no motion at all. Nanako unfolded the map and handed it to him.

“There, there, and there…that’s all I know, I swear.”

“I highly doubt that,” Nanako said. “But we’re in a rush. I’m sure you’ve already notified whatever other shadows you can.”

Kamothreeda didn’t say anything, which was saying everything. Nanako looked at Joker and Mona.

“What do we do with him?”

“Carmen! Dormina!” Ann said, striking her pose. Carmen appeared and hummed a few bars of the famous opera with the same name, and watched as Kamothreeda fell asleep.

“Why not just kill him?” Skull asked.

“It might be a tougher fight than we think. Besides, this thing probably has a direct connection to King Kamoshida. If we kill it, he’ll know. Think of it this way, if he’s tough, then we’ll be stronger the next tim we see him. If he’s not tough, then we just saved some energy,” Mona said. ‘By the way, very clever move, Lady Ann. You showed some real tactical prowess.”

“Thanks,” Ann said, sincere. Nanako finished untying Kamothreeda and Joker reeled his line back in.

“Come on,” Nanako said. “There’s a safe room nearby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, Kamothreeda. I can't believe people just let me write whatever I want.


	82. 4/22 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako drinks juice.

“So what was that guy, anyway?” Ann asked between sips.

The phantom thieves had gotten juices from the juice stand in the underground walkway in Shibuya station. Now they were sitting on a bench in the station square as people walked by. Nanako yawned.

“Who, Kamothreeda?” Ryuji asked.

“Are we really calling him that? That’s so lame,” Ann said.

“It’s a good name!” Ryuji and Nanako yelled at the same time. Ann recoiled a bit.

Ren chuckled.

“The best I can figure is that it’s a part of his shadow that split off for a specific purpose,” Morgana said. “Think about it for a second. That Kamoshida was poised and collected and was ready with all sorts of excuses and explanations. When he came into the room, he was also working out a plan about how to distribute some sort of information.”

“It’s the part of him that prevents him from getting caught,” Nanako said.

“Exactly,” Morgana said.

“But I thought the shadow was the true self?” Ryuji asked.

“It’s not the _true_ self, it’s just the id. The base desires that are unrefined by conscious choice. Kamoshida obviously can’t act like a King in reality, that would never work. But his desires are that of a king,” Morgana said.

“So that portion of him plays the system, works people over, uses charm and persuasion and loopholes to get exactly what he wants,” Ann said, her anger rising with each word.

“And it must be well-developed, since it was strong enough to have its own form,” Morgana said.

“The speeches were all about Suzui,” Ren said. “Some for her parents, some for the press. In each one he claims to not know what happened and to be utterly heartbroken by it.”

Ann gripped her juice cup a little tighter, leaving fingernail marks in the side.

“So what do we do about it?” Ryuji asked.

“We could probably destroy it without much danger to killing Kamoshida,” Morgana said. “If it were damaged, it would probably just return to the rest of the shadow…still, I think we should avoid it if we can. It’s clever, which means that it’s dangerous.”

“Can we trust any of the information it gave us?” Nanako asked. “I mean, he made marks on the map.”

“It’s probably truthful. Just truthful enough to spring a trap,” Ren said. He adjusted his glasses, then threw his empty juice cup over his shoulder. It sunk perfectly into the trash can. “That’s what I would do, anyway.”

“We’ll have to be careful from here on out,” Morgana said. “We gained new members and got stronger, but our enemy has replied in kind.”

“We don’t need to be stronger,” Ren said. “Just smarter.”

They went home.


	83. 4/22 - After School, Shujin Academy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The King meets The Prince.

“And then’s when I said, ‘I guess you’ll see a _spike_ in sales.’ Get it? Spike?”

“Yes, very funny, Kamoshida-sensei,” said Sadayo Kawakami. The two were walking side by side up the stairwell and towards the faculty office, and Kawakami was trying to figure out how she could get out of here a little faster. After all, the bills were piling up, and the longer the hours she had to put in at school, the fewer she had for Becky.

Then again Becky would just end up working later, which really meant there was fewer hours of sleep.

Kawakami was struck by the thought of the Triple Goddess.

Maiden, Mother, Crone. The three aspects of life, and in many ways the three aspects of womanhood, according to the pagan religions. Maiden, full of life, youth, sexuality, and freedom. Mother, full of strength, determination, and the will to change reality. Crone, the old woman, full of wisdom and guidance, but no longer able to enjoy the pleasures of life, just observe them as her body whithered away into a husk..

Maiden, Mother, Crone

Becky, Kawakami-sensei, Sadayo.

Becky, who absorbed what little vitality and youth she had left and sold it.

Kawakami-sensei, who poured her heart into her students, who used her strength and will to forge better futures for them, even when they didn’t want it for themselves.

Sadayo, who withered away while Kawakami-sensei and Becky battled for time.

Sadayo. She liked her name. She always had. But she couldn’t remember the last time anyone called her by it.

“Are you okay there, Kawakami-sensei?” asked Kamoshida. Sadayo shook her head and looked up.

“Just a little tired…I hope this meeting isn’t long.”

“Well, the police have to investigate things like Suzui, even when it’s nobody’s fault,” Kamoshida said, his wide grin the picture-perfect Olympian with saintly paitence. “I’m sure they sent some nobody cop to ask a few questions, fill out a few forms, and he’ll be on his way. This will take ten minutes, tops.”

They slid open the door. Sadayo was surpirsed to see two young women sitting at the other end of the table. One was in full uniform, while the other was wearing a stylish blue overcoat and matching cap.

“Good afternoon, I’m sorry to keep you after you’ve had a long work day. I’ll try to keep my questioning short and to the point. I’m Officer Satonaka, and this is my partner for the investigation, Detective Naoto Shirogane.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Kamoshida said. His smile was a megawatt lightbulb that soon dimmed into contemplative sadness. “I’m sorry that we have to meet under such dire circumstances.”

Satonaka flipped open her notebook and clicked her pen.

“Can you tell me about Shiho Suzui?”

True to her word, Satonaka’s questioning was concise. She asked all the questions Sadayo would have expected, trying to find out information about Suzui’s friends, her role on the volleyball team, her grades. Undoubtedly they were looking for the seed of discontent that would send the young girl to the roof and taking a leap off of it. Sadayo answered as best she could. She didn’t know Suzui that well, but she had been a good student in Japanese class. Kamoshida had much more to say, her being the star athlete on his team.

It gave Sadayo more time to think.

Why hadn’t she thrown herself from the roof yet?

It was a grim question, but an interesting one. Shiho Suzui had a lot going for her, and yet she felt that she couldn’t handle life. She was still young, she was on a good team with an influential teacher that would be able to get her into many good universities. As far as Sadayo had found out from the files, her home life was fine. She was shy, but well-liked by most of the other students. She had a best friend, Ann Takamaki. There was probably somebody pining away for her too, waiting for the right moment to confess their love to her.

Sadayo had none of those things.

And yet here she was, fighting forward.

 _The human heart is a complex mystery_ , was the only conclusion she could come to.

“It’s just so confusing. It hurts me to think that she was going through so much pain and none of us knew about it,” Kamoshida said. “If only she had reached out, then things might be different, you know?”

“So you didn’t know of any issues she was having at all?” Satonaka clarified.

“No. I’m sorry, I wish I had more to tell you,” Kamoshida said. He looked down at his lap and let out a sigh. Sadayo actually felt bad for Kamoshida. Normally she found him a bit unbearable due to his ego, but this little slice of humanity was putting him in a sympathetic light. Maybe she-

“That’s odd, because Shiho Suzui says differently.”

The voice was jarring. The other woman, the detective, hadn’t said a single word since they sat down a half hour ago. She just sat there, arms crossed, darting her gaze between Sadayo and Kamoshida. Her voice was rich and mellow, though - almost like a guy’s. For some reason, it made Sadayo a little nervous.

“I thought that Suzui was still in a coma?” Kamoshida asked, frowning.

“She is. But her body tells a different story than the one you’re telling,” Naoto said. “For example, there is bruising on her upper forehead and an injury to her right leg that are inconsistent with the fall.”

“I don’t understand,” Kamoshida said.

“Of course, bruising is wildly unpredictable. It’s not solid evidence of anything, really, but it does raise questions. Suzui was brought to the hospital wearing a compression sleeve for her right leg, which was being used to cover up her injury. Thanks to the power of social media, there’s plenty of video evidence of Suzui-san jumping from the building, in which she was already wearing that brace. That would have to mean that you knew about at least the leg injury, did you not?”

“I saw the brace. She didn’t tell me what it was for, and I didn’t ask,” Kamoshida said. “It didn’t seem to be affecting her volleyball playing.”

“And yet it must have, since there was a new bruise on her forehead. I suppose that was a volleyball injury?”

“I suppose it was. I don’t know, I don’t keep a running list of all the injuries. Contrary to popular belief, volleyball can be rough on the body, especially when you play it correctly.”

“Correctly?” Naoto asked.

“We are a national-ranked team, after all. I take what I learned in my Olympic Training and modify it to be high school appropriate,” Kamoshida said, pride swelling in his voice again. “That level of competition requires a play style that puts winning above everything else. There’s bound to be some scrapes and bruises.”

“Ah yes, I understand now. So in order to get your athletes to reach their full potential, you use special training techniques.”

“That’s right.”

“And the results of those techniques is that there are some minor injuries. But in exchange, the team performs at a national level,” Naoto said.

“Correct,” Kamoshida said.

“And Suzui-san was one of your star players for the girl’s team? And thus she is exposed to these special training techniques, which in turn make her a better athlete so she can perform at the national level.”

“You understand perfectly,” Kamoshida said, flourishing his hands, as if he had just settled a peace accord or something.

“Then that means you were lying earlier,” Naoto said.

“I’m so glad that even the police understand my methods of-….wait, what did you say?” Kamoshida said.

“Previously in your statement you said that you knew of nothing that was causing stress to Suzui-san. However, if she was a starter, and she was undergoing rigorous training, one would call that a source of stress. This is something you should have been aware of, given that you’re an _olympian_ , and a teacher. I find it odd that in your analysis of Suzui-san’s mental state that you failed to take any of that into consideration.”

Kamoshida looked confused. Sadayo _felt_ confused, but she thought she understood the situation well: why hadn’t Kamoshida realized he was pushing Suzui too hard?

“Am I being arrested?” Kamoshida asked Satonaka.

“Huh? Oh, no no, not at all. I apologize for her, Naoto is an excellent detective, but she can get fixated on strange tangents. I have more than enough for my report. You and Ms. Kawakami are free to go.”

“Is this being treated as an attempted suicide, then?” Sadayo asked.

“I’m sorry, I can’t share that information with you at this time,” Chie said. “Thank you again.”

***

When the door shut, Naoto held up a hand. Chie waited for the footsteps to fade.

“Why are we doing this again?” Chie asked. “We already determined that Suzui didn’t have a mental breakdown. It has nothing to do with our big case.”

“That Kamoshida is interesting,” Naoto remarked. “Much more composed than I would have given credit for. I even tried to rattle his cage a few times, but he held is own. Very fascinating…”

“You can’t answer my question with vague observations,” Chie protested. Naoto shut her eyes and thought.

“I don’t know how, but this feels important. So I’m going to pull on this string as long as I can. Besides, that coach raped that girl. He needs to pay for that.”

“Rape? I didn’t see a rape kit being done or anything to that effect,” Chie said.

“He most likely used a condom, which means that nothing would have been found on her. He’s careful and devious.”

“More of a reason to take him down?” Chie asked.

“You’re starting to understand me, Chie-senpai.”

Chie just sighed and closed her notebook.


	84. 4/22 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako gets a phone call.

Nanako leaned on the refrigerator door, looking at the ingredients inside. The idea of cooking felt monumentally impossible, thanks to her Metaverse exhaustion. But big bro wasn’t coming home for dinner, so unless she wanted takeout, cooking was all she had. Maybe she could just make some noodles and -

 _Pi pi pi_.

 **HARU:** Nana-chan! The family I told you about wants to meet you for the job. Are you available tomorrow after school?   
**NANAKO:** Yes, I am! Thank you so much again, Haru-senpai. Is there anything special I need to do? Do I wear fancy clothes or something?   
**HARU:** Nana-chan, you’re so cute! No, your uniform is fine. I think you’ll like them a lot.   
**NANAKO:** Looking forward to it. See you tomorrow!

If the babysitting job came through, maybe Nanako could pay off her holster, and then ask Sano to make the next thing on her mind. It was hard with the deadline looming over their head. Nanako had already spread the map out on her bed and tried to figure out how close they were to the end of the palace, but she was pretty sure that the map was incomplete.

…Wait, she spread out the map! But the map was from the Metaverse! Did that mean they were able to take objects out of the Metaverse? Could they use that for something?

She pulled out her phone to call Ren and Morgana. Then hesitated. Maybe she could just bring it up tomorrow. No need to call him right now, right?

Except she wanted to, so badly.

Except she was also way too nervous to do it.

Her phone rang and Nanako jumped from the fright. She hit the call accept button immediately.

“Hello?”

“Hi Nanako. How are you doing?”

“Hi mom!” Nanako said, lighting up. She left the kitchen and hopped onto the couch in the living room. “Sorry I haven’t called, it’s been really busy adjusting over here.”

“Don’t worry about me, we’re doing fine over here. Though, we miss you every day. I actually was calling to make sure you were safe and didn’t need anything. I saw on the news that a girl from your school tried to commit suicide.”

“Oh, yeah, that,” Nanako said. Her mind started to race again - how much did she want to tell mom? She actually _wanted_ to tell her everything, but she couldn’t. It would be safer to tell her that she wasn’t involved - that she really didn’t see anything and she didn’t know the girl.

But, that was a bit of a slippery slope. Naoto and Chie had been there, what if they let it slip to big bro?

“I actually saw the whole thing,” Nanako said. The words were release. It was as if a ball of stress and trauma that had been locked in her heart was freed.

“Oh, my dear Nanako, that must have been horrible. Are you okay?”

“Yes, I think so. I mean, it was horrible. But, I ran over to help her as soon as she landed.”

“Of course you did, because you’re your father’s daughter,” mom said.

“She was in a lot of pain, and she’s still in a coma…but I think she’s going to be okay. I went with her to the hospital.”

“Oh, Nanako…”

“It’s fine, mom. I mean it was scary and probably traumatic but…I was glad I was able to do something. It makes it seem less hopeless, you know?”

“Well, needless to say, I’m proud of you. Your father will be too, once I tell him.”

Nanako winced. “Do you think he’ll want to bring me home?”

“He already wants to bring you home. But he won’t. He has more faith in you than he lets on. But if you _want_ to come home, you just need to say the word.”

“Thanks, mom. I’m doing well here.”

“How about your friend?”

“He’s doing well, too, I think. We’ve made some new friends.”

“I’m glad to hear it. I love you, Nanako.”

“Love you too, mom.”

They hung up. Nanako sighed and looked at the lights of Shibuya. How lucky was she to have two loving parents? And her mom _chose_ her, too. Sometimes that thought overwhelmed, Nanako. She had so much love. She just wished that everyone else could, too.

 _Pi pi pi_.

 **REN:** Are you hungry?   
**NANAKO:** Starving.   
**REN:** Good. Meet me at Central Street.

Nanako was suddenly a lot less sleepy.


	85. 4/22 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A challenge is issued.

“This is foolishness!” Nanako declared.

“It’s…so much…” Morgana said.

“There’s no reason for this! None at all!” Nanako continued.

“I think they used a whole head of lettuce…” Morgana mused.

“What are you trying to prove?!” Nanako pleaded.

“It’s gonna take some serious guts to finish that off…”

“Enough!” Ren said with a pound of his fist on the table. “I am thou, and thou art I, Comet Burger!”

Ren grunted when he lifted it off the table.

Twenty minutes later, Ren had his glasses off and was resting his head on the table. About a third of the burger was left when the employee came to clean it up.

“The surface of this table is so cool…” Ren muttered. “I think I have a fever…can you get a fever from meat…?”

Nanako pat his head gently.

“It’s okay. You’ll get it next time.”

Nanako helped him to the train station. She felt like her kindness raised a little.


	86. 4/23 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Japanese lesson.

-=8 DAYS UNTIL EXPULSION=-

“There are several important Japanese story telling forms that are vital to our traditional culture,” Kawakami-sensei said during the morning lesson. “One of these is called _rakugo_. There are several key elements needed to properly perform rakugo, but there’s always one object the storyteller needs. Do you know what it is…Takamaki-chan?”

“A microphone?”

Kawakami-sensei sighed. Ann winced.

“No, Takamaki, it’s an _traditional_ form, they didn’t have microphones back then. What about you, Dojima?”

“A fan,” Nanako said.

“Yes, very good! The rakugo performer, or rakugoka, always has a fan to use as a prop. In fact, the fan is the only prop they are allowed to use in traditional rakugo.”

Nanako felt a little smarter.


	87. 4/23 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako gets a job.

“Nana-chan, I feel like there’s perhaps something I should share with you,” Haru said. “But I’m nervous, because it may seem like I wasn’t entirely honest with you.”

“You mean the fact that you come from a wealthy family?” Nanako asked. Haru looked absolutely shocked.

“Wha-! How did you know that?”

“Well, the cake from the other day was extremely delicious and not the kind you could get except from a fancy cake shop. And your favorite pink sweater is made from a high-end brand. And well, to be honest….this.”

Nanako made a vague motion all around them. They were being driven to their destination in a private black car, driven by a uniformed chauffeur.

“Oh. Yes, well I suppose those would give it away…you really are a policeman’s daughter. Are you going to be the next great detective?”

“Ah, I don’t know about any of that, it was just a little deduction-”

Nanako was cut off when Haru bent over in a makeshift bow.

“I deeply apologize for my deception. I sincerely hope that you will forgive me.”

“It’s okay, Haru-senpai, really. It’s not really a ‘deception.’ You didn’t want me to treat you differently because your family had money, right? I understand that. Believe it or not, you’re not my first wealthy friend,” Nanako said. Haru sat up.

“I’m relieved. It is exactly as you say, I’ve had a lot of complex issues with friendships in the past because of my family. It’s rare that I meet someone who doesn’t know who I am, so when you didn’t seem to know…” Haru trailed off.

“I understand. In fact, I already told you I understood! So stop apologizing, okay?”

Haru smiled. “Yes. Thank you, Nana-chan.”

The car slowed long enough for a security guard to come up to the chauffeur’s window. They exchanged a few words, then the security guard opened a parking garage. Nanako had expected to see many cars stacked inside, but instead there were only three in a garage that looked like it could hold twenty. The drive stopped in front of an elevator, and Haru and Nanako got out.

“Does this building not have many tenants?” Nanako asked.

“Hm? Oh, no, this whole house is owned by the family,” Haru said.

Nanako worked to keep her composure. It was true, Haru wasn’t her first wealthy friend - Rise lived an idol’s life, and Nanako had gotten to experience a lot of interesting and lavish things as a result of being her friend. But Rise lived in hotels. This was a legitimate mansion.

The interior of the elevator had a marble floor and beautiful white walls with golden buttons. Haru pressed the button and waited for the elevator to rise.

“Is there anything I should know about this family?”

“Hm? Oh, right, I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you. The father is-”

 _Ding_.

The doors slid open. Haru motioned Nanako forward. The room was gorgeous - it was an open floor plan with more marble floors. There was the sound of a piano playing in the background, and Nanako knew for a fact it was a grand piano. There was beautiful art on the walls, and a modern spiral staircase that led up towards the next floor. One wall of the home was all windows, looking down onto the neighborhood filled with large modern homes and dotted with trees.

Standing by these huge windows was a man in his early 40s. He was thin and had a sort of rubbery quality to his body as he danced to the piano music. The piano piece - was it Chopin? - was quick and flourishing, but certainly not the kind you would dance to. Yet the man danced to it anyway.

And the strangeness didn’t stop there. He wore black silk pants, a black tanktop and a leopard print silk shirt that draped over his shoulders. His hair was long and a bit unkempt, and he wore wide rose-colored sunglasses. He also had a well-kept, upturned mustache.

A very famous mustache, actually.

“Ahhh, Haru-chaaaan!” the man said when he turned around. He held out his arms wide to his side as if waiting for a hug.

“Hello, Uncle Aki,” Haru said. She tried to look composed and dignified, but apparently the offer of the hug was too much to resist. She leaned in and hugged the man briefly.

“Uncle Aki, this is Nanako Dojima, my friend from school. She’s the one that I told you about.”

“Hello, sir,” Nanako said. She wasn’t exactly sure what to call him. Apparently his name was “Aki” but that wasn’t the name Nanako knew him by.

This was Zazabatta.

Zazabatta was a very famous comedian in Japan. Perhaps the most famous comedian in Japan. He was known for his outrageous characters, flamboyant outfits, and a mustache that looked like he had stolen it from a 19th century European soldier. Nanako had watched him as a kid and always found him hilarious. Everyone did. She couldn’t remember a single person who didn’t think Zazabatta was funny, especially in his older movies.

A few years ago, Zazabatta also started performing rakugo - a type of traditional Japanese storytelling that came from the Buddhist monks. It was a bit old fashioned for a comedian on the cutting edge of propriety, but he was credited for modernizing the art form.

And Haru was apparently his friend.

No, not just his friend. Family-like. What on earth did Haru’s family do?

“Please, just call me Aki-san. Zazabatta is a character who doesn’t exist when I’m at home,” he explained. Nanako bowed.

“Yes, thank you Aki-san. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Come, let’s sit,” Aki-san said. He motioned for them to go to a nearby couch, where they got comfortable. “So Haru-chan thinks that you might be a good caretaker for my Mei-Mei. Tell me about yourself.”

“Ah, well, I am a recent transfer student to Shujin Academy. I live in Shibuya with my big bro who’s looking after me while I’m here.”

“Ah, and where did you live before?”

“In a small town, Yaso-Inaba,” Nanako said.

“Ohhh, yes, I’ve been to Inaba once. I think. Is it the place with the tough man who knits?”

“You mean Kanji Tatsumi? Yes, he lives there.”

“I thought so. Yes, I’ve been to Inaba once. My Mei-Mei liked one of the dolls he made and so I stopped through to buy one,” Aki-san said.

“Ah, he’s actually a friend of mine,” Nanako said. “I’m glad Mei-chan liked the doll.”

“Oh she loves it. I think she still loves it, not that she’ll admit to it these days,” he said with a wide smile. “I’ll be honest with you, Nanako-chan, my Mei-Mei is not easy. She is very dismissive of people and does not make friends easily. It took me forever to find a good caretaker last time, and Haru-chan was only able to fill in because she’s known Mei-Mei since birth. I think you’ll do a good job, but to be honest, if she doesn’t like you I won’t be able to take you on.”

“I understand,” Nanako said. “May I meet her?”

“Of course! Mei-Mei! Get over here you goof-poof!”

The piano playing stopped. There was the sound of small footsteps on the marble floor. Nanako turned to look.

Mei was a girl of about eight or nine, if Nanako had to take a guess. She had long black hair and wore an adorable black dress with white frills on the collar and sleeves. She had a very serious expression and focused her dark eyes intently on Nanako.

“Hello. My name is Nanako. It’s nice to meet you, Mei.”

“Not impressed,” Mei said. Nanako glanced to Haru, who was wincing. Then she glanced to Aki-san.

“Now now, Mei-Mei, you can’t make a declaration like that! You’ve only just met her.”

“She is plain and boring. She will not be able to intellectually stimulate me, nor inspire me to be better than I am. She will be little more than a babysitter, and I do not need a babysitter, father.”

Yikes. Haru had said Mei was very serious, but Nanako had underestimate just _how_ serious she was. A fluttering anxiety rose in her chest. She needed this job! She needed the money to buy equipment for the Phantom Thieves. There was only 8 days left, she couldn’t waste one going to this interview and not come out with a job!

Nanako stood up.

She walked right past Mei.

She sat at the piano.

She shut her eyes and took several deep breaths.

It’d been a while since she played seriously. But she had taken lessons all the way up until last year - a way for her to honor her mother and to become closer to her. She had been a piano teacher, and dad had loved when Nanako took an interest.

What to play, what to play…

Moonlight Sonata. Beethoven.

It wasn’t the most technically challenging piece. In fact, Nanako was sure that Mei had probably played it when she was six or seven. Many children played it due to the the relative ease of the piece. But the mastery of Moonlight Sonata was not in memorizing the keys, but in the nuance and expression the player could put into it.

This was a risk, though. Mei was a child. Were her ears sensitive and refined enough to understand the nuance Nanako would place in it? Or would she only be impressed by technical prowess?

Could Nanako even play the piece as passionately as she wanted.

She played the first notes and thought of the moonlight.

She thought of the cold dark February night in Inaba.

She thought of the mysterious boy who was now the leader of a group of phantom thieves. The boy who had stolen her heart. She thought of his liquid grace and his exquisite loneliness.

She finished the piece a few minutes later.

Nanako stood up and quickly rubbed a tear away from each eye. She looked at the others. Haru had her hands on her mouth in amazement. Aki-san looked impressed.

Mei examined Nanako.

“She will do.”

Nanako bowed. “Thank you, Mei-chan. I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”

The rest of the meeting was short and concise - Aki-san was busy, and sometimes he wasn’t able to pick up Mei from school and help her with homework, and so on. On those days, Nanako would pick up Mei and take care of her while until Aki-san or Mei’s mother returned home. Apparently her mom was very busy too.

“I know that makes the job a little inconsistent, but…”

“That works fine for me,” Nanako said.

“Great. I’ll have my assistant email you a schedule. It was nice meeting you, Nanako-chan. Oh, and Haru-chan, congratulations again!”

“T-thank you,” Haru said, blushing. Nanako wasn’t sure what Haru was being congratulated about, but Haru had a look on her face that seemed to indicate asking would be a bad idea. Now wasn’t the time.

They got back into the elevator and into Haru’s car.

“Nana-chan, I didn’t know you played piano! That was so moving.”

“Thanks. I took lessons for a long time, I stopped when I got into high school to start focusing on my studies,” Nanako said. “Oh, I forgot to ask how much I was getting paid…”

 _Pi pi pi_.

Nanako opened her email app. Aki-san’s assistant had already emailed a bunch of information to Nanako, including the pay.

Nanako nearly dropped the phone.

“That much!? For a day?”

“No, Nana-chan, it’s that much per _hour_.”

Well. Nanako would be able to pay for the holster after all.

Nanako felt a little more charming, now that she had played her beautiful recital.

=====

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The Priestess: Mei   
Level 1


	88. 4/23 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako finds a cat.

_Pi pi pi_. _Pi pi pi. Pi pi pi_.

Nanako’s phone was blowing up as she walked into her building. She stumbled through finding her keys while trying to keep up with all the notifications.

 **YU:** Running a bit late.

Not unusual. Nanako ignored that one.

 **HARU:** Uncle Aki says to check your email when you get a chance!

Nanako stumbled past someone exiting the elevator. She apologized three times, then tried to open her email app. There was a payment notification. Nanako opened it and saw that 30,000 yen had been deposited into her account. She was about to text Haru back, when she noticed the next message.

 **AKI-SAN:** Nanako, thank you for coming today. I forgot to pay you for your time in meeting and convincing my daughter, so I sent a payment. We look forward to getting to know you better.

Nanako couldn’t believe it. She had just been paid to go on a job interview. Surely, working among the rich and wealthy had some major advantages that Nanako hadn’t thought of before - I mean, to give someone 30,000 yen for accepting a job? But she wasn’t going to argue about it. She quickly texted her thanks to both Haru and Aki-san.

That’s when she noticed she was on the wrong floor. In all the chaos, she had forgotten to push the button. Feeling slightly embarrassed when the man on the elevator left, she pushed it.

She was actually one floor above Ann’s at the moment, which gave her an idea.

 **NANAKO:** Hey! Come down for dinner!   
**ANN:** What? Right now?   
**NANAKO** : Well like, in an hour or so? I just got a job, so I’m in a celebrating mood! My big bro will be home in a bit, and I’ll have all the food ready by then. You can meet him, he’s nice.   
**ANN:** Okay! See you then.

Nanako had a big warm glow in her heart. It was so nice to be able to invite a friend - a real friend - on a whim to dinner. It was the sort of thing she had dreamed about when she was younger. As she waited for the elevator to get back down to her floor, she opened up another message.

 **NANAKO:** I got yo money, foo.   
**SANO:** Um…what?   
**NANAKO:** Sorry, I was trying to be funny. I have the money for the holster!   
**SANO:** Oh, cool, I just finished it, actually. You want to come by the shop?   
**NANAKO:** Actually, can you bring it to school tomorrow? I can pay you right afterwards, I promise.  
**SANO:** Mmm…you want me to bring a gun holster to school…  
**NANAKO:** Okay, you rather I meet you before?   
**SANO:** Nah. I don’t mind a little danger. After all, I just have the holster, you’re the one with the gun.   
**SANO:** Where do you want to meet?  
**NANAKO:** The roof. Don’t worry, it’ll be open. Oh, and I’ll have another order to put in, too.   
**SANO:** All right! See ya then!

Nanako let out a sigh of relief. Finally, all the notifications were dealt with, and she could stop stumbling her way through going home. She dug out her keys and quickly pushed the door open.

“Nyaaaan, senpaaaiii, can you help me? Something really weird has happened~”

Nanako froze. Was that a woman’s voice…?

She reached for her gun out of habit. It wasn’t a real gun, but it looked pretty real, so maybe it would scare out the intruder.

“Pleeease, senpai, my body feels so warm, nyan. I think something from the TV world has infected me, and it’s making my head feel so dizzy…”

Nanako slipped the gun away. That voice…was it…?

She stepped into the living room.

“Oh, finally senpai- AACK!”

“Oh! My! God!” Nanako yelled.

She stared.

Rise stared back.

Nanako slapped her hands over her eyes.

“I’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorry!” she cried as Nanako ran to her bedroom as fast she could.

“Nanako, wait!”

_Slam!_

Ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod!

Nanako tried to push the image out of her head, but her eye for detail was too strong.

Rise had been waiting on the couch. It was definitely Rise, Nanako knew that without a doubt, between her voice and the auburn hair. But…she’d also been wearing a school uniform. The Yasogami High uniform, to be exact. Well, she’d been _mostly_ wearing it. The front had been left partially open, exposing the cups of a pink leopard print bra. The same pink leopard print had been on the cat ears that Rise was wearing, and her lipstick was the same bright shade of candy pink.To top it all off, Rise also had a black leather collar with a little gold bell.

Nanako felt like she’d just matured a little too quickly.

There was a small knock on the door and Nanako leapt up, startled.

“Nanako? I’m sorry, I forgot you were here! Can I come in?”

“I…uh…”

“Oh! I changed, don’t worry!”

“O-okay,” Nanako said.

The door crept open. True to her word, Rise had changed out of the uniform at what must’ve been lightning speed - or else Nanako had just been staring at the wall for longer than she realized. Now she was wearing an orange tank-top with the logo to her last tour, Citrus Dreams, and some comfortable lounge shorts.

“Um, Rise, you have uh…” Nanako motioned at her neck. Rise reached up to touch the collar, heard the bell ring, and yelped. She unsnapped it off her neck and quickly put it behind her back.

“Nanako, I’m so so sorry! I just got back this morning and I’m totally turned around on the time, and I put the dates wrong in my phone, I forgot you were moving in with us. I’m so terribly embarrassed, I promise we’re not usually like that, and it’ll be absolutely the last time that happens, I want you to be totally comfortable here. Did I weird you out too much?”

“…Us?” Nanako asked. Rise frowned.

“Um, yeah, Yu and…” Rise’s eyes widened. “Did he not tell you we live together!?”

“You’re dating!?”

“Ugh, he was supposed to tell you! I can’t believe he moved you into my house and didn’t even tell you!”

“This is _your_ place?!”

“Okay. I am no longer embarrassed. This isn’t my fault. This isn’t your fault. It’s _his_.”

They both turned their heads when they heard keys working on the door lock. They both walked out into the living room and crossed their arms.

Rise looked at Nanako. Nanako understood that look. She was taught that look when she was just a child, back when Rise and the other girls were all in high school and there had been a mishap about the bath times. A look that indicated that they, as women, needed to unite against the man who wronged them, and to show no mercy.

Nanako felt very honored to be receiving the look, and gave the same look back. She nodded in solidarity.

The door opened. Yu glanced at Nanako and smiled. Then looked at Rise and smiled.

Then he stopped smiling. He slowly took off his glasses, put them in his front pocket, and shut his eyes.

“It has been a good life,” he said to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout-out to whoever it was that guessed this like three weeks ago. I'm impressed!


	89. 4/23 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako hosts Ann.

“I just want to say again how sorry I am for all of this, Nanako.”

“It’s really all right. I understand the situation now,” Nanako said. She sat at the dinner table across from Rise, who was now wearing a gorgeous pink dress, something that she might wear at a red carpet event. Nanako had changed into a far simpler sweater and a pair of jeans. “And I’m happy for you two, I really am!”

“Thanks! That means a lot to me. Especially from you.”

Two years ago, Rise and Yu had reconnected. They saw each other with the rest of the group pretty regularly, but when Yu had been transferred to writing about idols, he had called Rise to try and get a little help. Rise was more than happy to give him what she knew, and as a result, they started talking again and decided to give their romantic relationship another try. According to Rise, she had never really stopped having feelings for Yu, despite the fact Yu had been in a pretty serious relationship in the meantime.

They kept the relationship a secret at first because they wanted some time and space to figure each other out. But even after that had happened, they needed to keep it quiet to the general public. Idols didn’t have boyfriends. They needed to be perpetually single so that the fans could always dream they had a chance with them, and Risette was no exception. Rise explained that this was why so many idols mysteriously and conveniently got married when they turned 30: when their “life span” as an idol ran out. Of course, many times these girls had already gotten married, but only publicly announced it at 30.

The group knew about the relationship, and Yu and Rise had wanted to tell Nanako and her dad about it, but it just never seemed to come up at a good time, or so they said. When Nanako asked to move to Tokyo, Yu and Rise decided they _had_ to tell her as soon as she got there. That task had been left to Yu, since Rise was on tour.

Except he never got around to it. He claimed that he was so used to keeping it a secret that he forgot he was supposed to tell her. Plus, she had only been in town a week, and there had been a lot going on.

Rise had declared that was not an acceptable excuse, and the proper penance must be paid!

 _Bing!_ The door bell rang.

“Ah, that must be the food!” Rise said.

“I really didn’t mind cooking,” Nanako said.

“Nonsense, there’s no way anyone is doing dishes on my first day back home. It’s all on me, so don’t worry about a thing.”

_Bing!_

“Ahem! Why is the doorbell ringing _twice?_ This is unacceptable, butler!” Rise called.

Yu ran out from the kitchen, dressed in a full butler’s uniform.

“Yes, my lady, my most humble apologies! I shall get the door right away.”

“And why are you getting the door?” Rise asked.

“Because the queen’s orders are absolute!”

Rise crossed her arms and let a satisfied smile spread across her face. Yu opened the door.

“Oh, um. Hello. You must be Nanako’s older brother?”

“Tonight, I am just the manservant,” Yu said with a low bow. “Would you like me to announce you?”

“Oh no, I totally forgot!” Nanako said, jumping to her feet. “I invited a friend over.”

“Oh? That’s great! Have her join us, I ordered a ton of food,” Rise said. Nanako rushed over to the door.

“Hi Ann! Sorry, I uh…well, my evening has gone very differently than I thought it was going to,” Nanako said sheepishly. “But come in! We ordered food, it should be here soon.”

“Yes, and when the doorbell rings it will be answered on the _first ring_ , correct?” Rise called out.

“Yes, of course my lady. The queen’s orders are absolute,” Yu said.

“I uh…” Ann said, looking at Yu. Nanako felt like she was blushing into a tomato.

“I’m sorry, normally they’re only _kinda_ strange. This is um…I’m not even sure how to process it,” Nanako said honestly.

‘They? Who else is here?” Ann asked. Nanako led Ann past the entryway and into the dining room.

“Oh, right. This is Rise, my brother’s girlfriend,” Nanako said.

“W-what!?” Ann grabbed Nanako by the sleeve and pulled her to the side. “That’s _Risette!_ ”

“Hm? Oh, right, yeah, it is. I always forget that, she’s just Rise to me.”

“You’re friends with _Risette!?_ ”

“Mhm. She’s real nice, come on.”

“No way, I’m not ready for this…” Ann said. “I should go before I do something stupid.”

“Any stupider than my big bro pretending to be a butler? It’s fine, trust me.”

“Ah ha ha ha…hi, my name is Ann Takamaki. It’s really nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too! You can just call me Rise…say, wait a second. I know you.”

“You do?” Ann said, surprised.

“Yes…oh! I got it. Last month’s issue of _Vague_. You were page 34, gray cardigan over black tanktop, black leggings, black ankle-high boots, gold chain belt, big round sunglasses,” Rise recited.

“Y-yeah! That was me.”

“I never forget a fashion. You looked great in that shot, you’re very talented,” Rise said.

“W-wow, um, thank you. That means a lot to me coming from you.”

_Bing!_

Yu got the door immediately and paid the delivery man. A few minutes later, Yu came out to the dining table with all of the food placed onto serving platters. Rise had been right, she did order too much food.

“This is a feast!” Ann declared.

“Well there’s lots to celebrate. Nanako got a new job. I returned home. And I made a new friend,” Rise said, motioning to Ann. Ann blushed.

“Thank you so much for having me over. It looks delicious!”

“Then let’s eat!” Rise declared. “Oh, and butler?”

“Yes, my lady?”

“You can go change and come back and eat now. The rest of your penance shall be paid later.”

“You are a most kind ruler. I shall obey. The queen’s orders are absolute!”

Yu went to change. Ann shook her head, impressed.

“Wow, she really has him wrapped around her finger, huh?”

“Mm, a bit. But big bro just likes to have fun, too. I think he liked being the butler for a bit,” Nanako said.

“It was pretty funny,” Ann said. “He’s good-looking, too. No wonder he was able to catch someone like Risette.”

“He’s a good guy,” Nanako said.

Yu returned a few minutes later and the conversation got a bit more normal. Yu and Rise asked Ann about her family and her life and her career goals, which she shared without hesitation.

“Hm…well, I was just doing modeling as a part time job. Just a thing to do to make a little money. But I think I might want to expand into acting, too.”

“Acting is hard,” Rise said. “If you want to do it, you have to be very committed. And even then it’s not always enough.”

“Yeah, that’s the one thing that kinda holds me back…but then I remember other people who don’t have the same opportunities as me, and it makes me want to try even harder.”

“That’s an admirable quality,” Yu said. “Don’t give on that, Ann-chan. If Rise can learn to act, anyone can.”

“Hey! What are you saying about my acting skills?”

“I’m just saying, compared to my skill you’re but an amateur.”

“Your skill?! You’ve never acted at all!”

“Not true. There was the Miss Yasogami pageant.”

Rise groaned while Yu grinned at her. Nanako laughed too.

It was nice to have a full house.

Soon the trash had to be thrown out, and the time was inching along. Yu and Rise said their goodbyes to Ann and Nanako and retreated to their bedroom.

“Ugh, it’s getting late. I don’t wanna go, though…”

“I know, me neither. But if I don’t fall asleep soon, I might hear something I don’t want to hear…” Nanako said, eyeing the hallway that led to their bedroom. Ann laughed.

“You were right, Rise was very nice. And she gave good advice, too. Thanks for inviting me, Nanako. This was really fun.”

“Yeah. It was. And I think these days, we need all the fun we can get.”

Nanako let Ann out and waved goodbye. She felt like her bond with her would deepen soon.


	90. 4/24 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako completes a sale.

-=7 DAYS UNTIL EXPULSION=-

Nanako and Ann were at the roof before anyone else. When the door swung open, a surprised-looking Sano walked through.

“Oh, hey Takamaki. I was just…uh…”

“It’s fine, she knows,” Nanako said. “Actually she’s here to place an order, too.”

“Oh, really? Okay. Well, first thing’s first.” Sano dug into his bag and pulled out a package. The package was wrapped in brown paper and tied carefully with a bit of string. The paper had the Sano Leatherworks mark on it. Even the wrapping was high quality…

“And here you are,” Nanako said, handing Sano the cash in an envelope. This felt super shady, and it was kinda exciting. Sano slipped the envelope in his bag without counting the money.

“So, you’re into cosplay too, Takamaki? That’s awesome. I wouldn’t have thought that, since you’re a model and all,” Sano said.

“Oh, yeah, well…I think it’s fun. And also, I’m hoping that land a few cosplay modeling jobs. They pay pretty well,” Ann said. She had her hands behind her back and her fingers were constantly fidgeting. She wasn’t a very good liar, Nanako decided.

“Nice. So, what do you need?”

“A whip,” Nanako said.

“Huh? Really? Like a whip-whip?”

“Well, I don’t want you to break the law, so if there’s like, rules or something to make it a costume rather than a weapon, then follow those. But something you can swing around as realistically as possible,” Nanako said.

Sano folded his arms. “Hmm…I’ve never made a whip before. But I’m sure I can figure it out. Okay, I’ll message you later when I figure out how much it’ll cost and how long it will take me.”

“Sounds good.”

“…Do I get to know what the cosplay is, yet?”

“Not yet,” Nanako said.

“But it’s a good one,” Ann said with a flirty wink. This made Sano blush a little.

“Y-yeah, cool. Well, see ya.” Sano said. As he head through the door, Nanako could hear him muttering: “A book, a gun, a whip…what could they be doing…”

“A real whip?” Ann asked when Sano was out of sight.

“Sure, something for you to practice with,” Nanako said. “Our cognition of our abilities enhances what we can do in the Metaverse - if we believe we can do it, we can. So you don’t really _have_ to know how to use a whip, but if you did, then your cognition would automatically improve, right?”

“Huh. Okay, if you say so.” Ann frowned. “Are we going to have to actually cosplay at some point?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Nanako said.

The door opened again and the boys came striding in.

“We ready to do this?” Ryuji asked, stretching his arms back and forth. Nanako held her package.

“Yep. Let’s do it.”

_Beginning navigation._

As usual, the boys stood a dozen feet away staring at the castle while Ann kept one eye on them as Nanako changed.

She really hated this part of the process. Not that she was worried the boys were going to sneak a peek, but just the fact that it took her so long to get ready. She felt like she was slowing them down by having to change from one uniform to another. It also didn’t help that her “disguise” was so lame in comparison to theirs. Maybe she’d have to find a different outfit to change into rather than her Yasogami High uniform.

The uniform was on, but now it was time for the holster. She unwrapped it and held it out.

It was made of the same beautiful brown leather as her Compendium strap, and it was remarkably soft. She gave it a smell and savored the aroma of it.

…It was also sorta small. Nanako frowned, trying to figure out how to put it on.

“Hey, uh, Ann?”

She turned and walked over.

“Oh, I think it goes here,” Ann said.

“What? Why did he pick that one…”

“Ooh, it looks good on you! Except your skirt is too low…”

“H-hey!”

“I’m just rolling it up a couple of inches, relax. You have nice legs anyway, you should show them off.”

“That’s not the point!”

“Sure, but you want access to the gun don’t you?”

“Ah, I guess,” Nanako admitted.

“Okay but it looks weird if you stand like that, do it with a little more confidence! Here put your hip out like this, and then straighten your back a little and then…there! Hey boys, what do you think?” Ann called.

They turned.

Nanako felt a rush of embarrassment when they looked at her, but also a bit of pride at Ryuji’s mouth-gaping reaction. Nanako’s skirt was a little higher, and her pose was meant to accentuate the new thigh holster now strapped around her right leg.

“Nice…” Ryuji muttered.

“Very stylish,” Morgana said. Nanako looked over to Ren and adjusted her glasses.

“What do you think?”

Ren spun around dramatically, his coat flagging behind him.

“Baby baby baby…”

“H-hey!” Nanako complained.

They began their infiltration.


	91. 4/24 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skull invents something.

“What the eff! Seriously!”

“Calm down, Skull,” Panther said. “You’re going to attract the Shadows!”

“It’s okay, I almost got it…” Nanako said. “Just a little closer…”

Nanako was hanging from the end of Joker’s grappling hook. The thieves had made their way into the second tower, only to find that the next passage was locked. They had managed to find the key attached to a shadow, but Panther had hit it a little too hard with a fire blast and knocked the key down the stiarwell. The stairwell was rotted and collapsed, which is how Nanako ended up dangling by the end of the cable.

Her fingers brushed against the key twice before she finally grabbed hold of it.

“Go!” she called. There was a sudden and immediate yank. She was sent flying upward until she reached the apex, then released it. She seemed to float in the air a moment.

Joker caught her.

“Thank you, darling leader,” Nanako said with a wink. Joker grinned and set her down.

“Yoink!” Mona said as he took the key from Nanako and rushed off to the next door.

The palace had become a lot more secure in the past two days, and they weren’t sure why. Yes, they had attacked and threatened Kamothreeda, but Mona felt that wouldn’t have made enough changes to what was going on in the palace. Nearly every room had bars and locks now, and the number of guards had doubled.

“Cognition in the real world changed,” Mona had said. “Something has Kamoshida spooked, and as a result the palace is on an even heavier lockdown than before.”

“Why would that happen? Did any of you say anything to Kamoshida!?” Panther had said.

“What!? No way. I hate that asshole,” Skull had said.

“No,” Joker had said.

“Not me,” Nanako had said.

“It’s not important. Maybe someone else got a little too close to the truth - someone who wasn’t in on his little cabal and wasn’t going to look the other way. The thing that matters is that the palace is going to be harder to get through and we will need to work even harder.”

And so work harder they did.

They made good progress - they got more of the map, and were well into the upper levels. They knew now that the treasure was most likely located at the top of the highest tower of the castle. They had found more safe rooms.

But they weren’t going to fully secure the route today. Skull and Panther were losing steam. Nanako herself was starting to feel a bit drained. Even Joker seemed a bit less energetic.

They slipped into the next hallway and stealthed their way down to the end. Nanako peered around the corner, saw nothing, and got up to slide behind another couch.

“Wait, Angel!” Joker called.

When Nanako was in the center of the hall, a knight, glowing red, appeared. It charged headlong, then burst in a hideous sound of distorted splatter, forming into several shadows.

Nanako snapped up her gun from the thigh holster, took a deep breath, and fired. The shot struck a Pixie and knocked it off her flight course, sending her crashing to the ground. The shot was enough to cause a slight hesitation of the remaining shadows. Nanako used that hesitation to turn on her heel and run back down the hallway.

Skull was running towards her.

“Hell yeah, pass the baton!” he yelled. Nanako wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but he had his hand out. She gave it a high five out of instinct.

Skull had a wild grin as he skid to a halt and held out his shot gun. He fired it off an approaching Angel.

The blast struck true, but also much more powerfully than Nanako had expected - he’d shot at Angels before, but he had never evaporated one in a single blast. Skull looked down at his gun, a little surprised.

“Mreow! That’s a great idea!” Mona yelled.“Quick, pass it to me!”

Mona zipped by and Skull gave him a high five.

A sultry Succubus was right behind the Angel. Mona stopped right in front of Skull.

“Witness my resolve!”

Zorro appeared and with a flourish of his sword sent a blast of wind at the Succubus. Nanako knew they were weak to wind attacks, but again this was more more powerful than it normally should have been. Nanako even noticed this time that there was a strange aura rippling around Mona, a dull ring of fire around his feet.

“Do it, Joker!” Mona said, leaping over Skull. He gave Joker a high-five mid-flip.

He pulled off his mask.

“Arsene! Ravage them!”

There were only two left - Cait Siths who were trembling at the sight of Joker and his personal Persona. The victorian demon lunged forward and drove his claws into both cat-creatures and tore them into black sludge.

Panther whipped the injured Pixie and finished it off.

The battle was over, and it was completely one-sided. The shadows didn’t even get off one attack.

“Mreo-haha! What a lucky idea you’ve stumbled across,” Mona said.

“What do you mean?” Skull asked.

“That baton pass! When Angel hit the first one with her gun it intimidated the others. Then the high five intimidated them further, as if there was a plan in place. It changed their cognition of the battle! The more weak points we hit, the stronger they perceived we were, which made us stronger and stronger in each subsequent attack.”

“Nice job, Skull!” Nanako said with a big smile. “It’s a cool strategy we can use in future fights.”

“And to think you found it because you were doing a stupid track yell,” Panther said.

“Yeah, yeah,” Skull grumbled. Joker put a hand on his shoulder.

“You did good. Keep up that enthusiasm.”

“You got it, leader.”


	92. 4/24 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who started playing P5R?
> 
> Man, it's so good. So many quality improvements, new ideas, new fun stuff!

“Hey…what’s that over there?”

The thieves stopped on their ascent. Nanako pointed to a door on the opposite end of a gap in the hallway. On the other end was another lavish door, like so many they had passed through on their quest for the treasure. Except this one was covered in vines.

There was whispering. An echoing whisper that rumbled from beneath the edges of the door.

“A Will Seed,” Mona said.

“What’s that?” Skull asked.

“It’s where the desire grew out of. Pure, coalesced distortions of the palace’s ruler,” Mona said.

“What does it do?” Panther asked.

“I uh…I don’t know. Once I sensed it, I knew what it was but…I’m not sure its purpose.”

“Let’s take it,” Joker said, stepping onto the railing of the balcony.

“Whoah, wait, are you sure? What’s the point of that?” Nanako asked.

“It has _seed_ in the name. If we don’t take it, it will grow into something else, won’t it? If we steal the treasure, will it matter if it grows right back?”

“It’s an interesting point,” Mona said. “I want to take it too.”

“I’m with Angel, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Panther said.

They all looked at Skull.

“Eh, let’s grab it.”

“Outvoted,” Joker said with a grin. He whipped out his grappling hook, snagged onto one of the many ornamental goat heads, and swung across with a flourish.

“He thinks he’s so cool…” Nanako grumbled. “Hey, Mona, where’s my grappling hook?”

“Huh? I only made one.”

“Well make more! We can’t let him go by himself.”

“Yeah, I want one too,” Skull said.

Panther stepped past Nanako and stood on the railing. She wound up her arm then sent her whip snapping up at the same goat head. It wrapped securely around it, and Panther gave it a tug.

“Ha, I did it!” she said, smiling from ear to ear. “I believed I could do it, and I did! Come on Angel, swing across.”

“Huh? Me? You don’t want to go?” Nanako asked, approaching closer to Panther. Panther leaned in.

“Come on, don’t you want a little alone adventure?”

“W-what!? Why would I want that?”

“It’s okay, it’s pretty obvious,” Panther said, winking. “I’m rooting for you, Nanako-chan!”

She pushed Nanako.

Nanako swung across the gap and landed on the other side. She pulled on the whip and it gathered into her hands in a loose coil. She followed Joker into the room.

More vines flowed into the center where a frightening wooden skull with a red hue stared up from a vine-pedestal. Joker was kneeling, examining it. The whispering was louder now, and it was undoubtedly Kamoshida’s voice.

“Doesn’t look trapped,” Joker said. “I think we can just take it.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“No,” he said with a hungry smile. “Which is what makes me want to do it.”

“There’s definitely a daredevil side to you, isn’t there?”

“You too. I mean look at you, Miss Thigh Holster.”

“You like it though, admit it.”

“It’s a good look on you,” Joker said with a smirk. “Okay, here goes.”

He swiped it. There was a strange pulse of power, and the whispering suddenly stopped. All around the room, the vines began to whither and die.

“Huh. Not even a shadow to protect it. What a strange thing…” Nanako mused.

“I think we can push on just a little more,” Joker said. “Then we better head back. I think it’ll be better if we end the infiltration on a high.”

“Yeah, good idea. Let’s go.”

Joker strode out first. Nanako was just about the cross the threshold, when she heard another voice.

_Nana-chan!_

She spun.

“Teddie?”

_Nana-chan…where are you…you have to be out there somewhere…it’s beary hard to find you…_

“Teddie!?”

Nanako grabbed at the vines, pulling them away. They were so withered now that they crumbled to dust in her fingers. She clawed all along the edges of the room, leaving a trail of black flakes behind.

_Nana-chan…I’m so sorry…_

“Teddie!”

But there was nothing. Just an empty room.

“Nanako!”

Joker burst back through the door. Nanako stood there, staring at the wall, shuddering.

He put her hands on her shoulders. His touch was surprisingly warm, even with the gloves.

No wait, there were no gloves.

She turned.

His suit was gone, his form reverted back to his uniform.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah. I’m okay. Sorry, I just…”

“It’s fine. You don’t need to tell me. Just stay close, okay?”

“Yes,” Nanako said. Ren nodded.

Then transformed back into Joker.

They stepped onto the balcony, Nanako looking at the whip in her hand. Joker shook his head.

“No way, let me carry you across.”

“Thanks.”

He wrapped his strong arm around her waist and they swung through the air to the other side.


	93. 4/24 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rise.

Nanako stared blankly at the TV while she ate the luxurious leftovers from last night’s feast. The day’s excursion into Kamoshida’s palace had brought good results, but it had left her particularly tired. She couldn’t imagine doing anything other than sliding into bed as soon as she was done eating and bathing.

A figure leapt over the couch and landed deftly next to her.

“Soooooo…?” Rise asked. She was wearing a pair of cute, comfy shorts and a big sweater with the word “LOVE” on it. The O was a heart.

“Huh?” Nanako asked. Rise, who was on her knees, leaned forward a bit.

“Come on, tell me about the boy!”

“W-what!?” Nanako coughed, choking on her food. She put the food down on the coffee table and grabbed her cup of water and slurped it down.

“What boy?” Nanako said, trying to catch her breath.

“Nanako-chan, Yu already told me everything. Don’t be shy! I think the whole thing is bold and romantic! You’re taking the actions of a mature young woman.”

Nanako perked up. “Really? You think my actions are mature? Big bro thought they were sorta stalkerish.”

Rise rolled her eyes. “That’s because to him you’re still a six year old who sings the Junes theme song. He doesn’t understand the determination it takes to be a young woman in love. After all, if it weren’t for my bold actions, I would have never won Yu over in the first place.”

“Really? What do you mean?”

Rise preened. “Well, as you know, I was already an idol when I met Yu, but I was taking a break from the industry. I thought maybe I needed to figure out the real me. I was worried I was losing myself to Risette. But after…”

She paused, as if trying to figure out what to say next.

“After something happened, Yu and I got closer. I asked him to help me find out who the real me was, and he was there every step of the way. That’s when I knew he was something special. So I did everything I could to claim him as my own. I asked him to walk with me at festivals, I invited him out all the time, and anything remotely romantic I pounced on. I wanted it to be clear what my intentions were, to him and to everyone around me.”

“Everyone around you?”

“Well, yeah, there were so many other girls around, and I was the late comer! There was Chie with her tomboyish charm and candid directness. And Yukiko is such a classical beauty. And then there was Ebihara, and Yumi, and Ayane…”

“He really was a manwhore…” Nanako whispered to herself. “But what about-”

“La la la!” Rise said, slapping her hands to her ears. Nanako blinked, surprised. After a moment, Rise put her hands down and looked embarrassed.

“Ah, sorry. I just don’t like talking about those years we were apart,” she admits.

“Why not? I mean, they broke up. You two have been together for two years.”

“I know. It’s silly. Stupid, even. But…I never stopped loving him. He broke up with me, you know. He was heading off to university and he said I was…clingy.”

“That’s rude!” Nanako said.

“It’s fine. I was on tour a lot, so I was checking in with him a lot. I thought I was doing the right thing, but it turns out he was feeling overwhelmed by it. We were still teenagers, so instead of communicating our way through it, he just broke it off. Then he had this huge meaningful relationship afterwards and it bothered me. It made me feel like…our first relationship was just a thing he did for fun. He wanted to be with the idol, or the hot girl, or…I don’t know.”

“And that makes you question your relationship with him now?”

“Mostly not,” Rise said. “Mostly it’s fine. But every once in a while…it just hits me, out of nowhere. And then I’m fifteen again, insecure.”

She laughed.

“I guess I’m still a little insecure, even at 25. Love is hard. But I know I’ll get over it,” Rise said.

“He’s happy with you. I can see it when you walk in the room,” Nanako said.

“Thanks…hey, wait! How did this get to be about me? You’re supposed to tell me about the boy!”

“Aw, I almost got away with it…”

Nanako told Rise the story about her and Ren.

The safe one, without all the breaking and entering.

======

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The Magician: Rise Kujikawa  
Level 1


	94. 4/25 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako continues to be out of shape.

-=6 DAYS UNTIL EXPULSION=-

After a morning of studying, Nanako sent a text to the team.

 **NANAKO** : Hey, anyone free today?   
**ANN:** Sorry, I have a job today.   
**REN:** I’m stuck working at the cafe too.

Nanako was disappointed at Ren’s response, but she tried to keep her spirits up.

 **RYUJI:** I got nothing going on.

Nanako shrugged.

 **NANAKO:** Let’s do something then!   
**RYUJI:** For real? Okay.   
**REN:** I’m jealous. Have fun.

Jealous? What did he mean by that? Nanako tried typing out a half dozen different response to that, but she couldn’t figure out how to reply without it seeming weird. Instead, she switched over to the message from Ryuji.

 **RYUJI:** You don’t gotta hang out with me if you don’t wanna.   
**RYUJI:** I know you’re closer to Ren and Ann.   
**NANAKO:** Nonsense! You’re from here, right? I’m still kinda lost in Tokyo. Any cool spots I should know about?  
 **RYUJI:** Have you been to Inokashira Park yet?   
**NANAKO:** No! Let’s go!  
 **RYUJI:** All right. Feel like a run?   
**NANAKO:** Sure, working out could help for our other work too.   
**RYUJI:** See ya soon.

—

Nanako really, really wished she’d kept up Chie’s training regiment. By the time she and Ryuji and finished their run, she was gasping, bent over, and clutching her knees.

“You’re…too…fast…” she said between gasps. Ryuji was breathing hard too, but he was more focused on rubbing his right leg.

“Nah…not as fast as I used to be. But Ren and I have been training, so I’m starting to get back into shape,” he said.

“Is this…where I die…?” Nanako gasped. Ryuji laughed.

“Just give it a few minutes. Try not to bend over, stand up and keep your lungs open, and walk around a bit so your legs don’t seize up.”

Nanako did as instructed. Sure enough, a few minutes later, she did feel better. She and Ryuji walked over to a street vendor who had cold drinks and they both grabbed a chilled bottle of water. They sat down by the pond and drank.

“You and Ren run like this a lot?”

“Yeah, pretty regularly. He’s been a good training partner.” Ryuji grinned between sip of his water. “Jealous?”

“Why would you say that?” Nanako said, trying to sound cool and collected. Her blushing cheeks were probably giving it away.

“It’s kinda obvious.”

“Is it really!? Ann said the same thing…”

“I mean, you did follow him here…”

“I know, I know. But that wasn’t the only reason! I mean, yes, I wanted him to have a friend and not go through all this alone, and yes, I…guess I kinda like him…”

“Kinda?”

“Shut up! But it was partly for me too.” Nanako paused to take a drink from her bottle. “Back in Inaba, things were fine. But that’s all they were. I was in student council and had a few people I would talk to and hang out with but…I kept waiting for real friends. I know that’s stupid to say, but my big bro had this amazing group of friends when he was in high school. They’re still friends to this day. I just wanted a place to belong.”

“I know what you mean. I was shit at studying in middle school too. I actually thought I’d skip going to high school and just get a job. But then in second year of middle school, this guy in my PE class pissed me off, and I decided to show him up in the 50 meter dash. I didn’t just beat him, I crushed him. That’s when they recruited me for the track team. I spent the next year and a half getting good, so good that it got me into Shujin. I would’ve never gotten in with my grades alone, but track was enough to make me stand out,” Ryuji said.

“It was the first time I felt like I belonged at school. I actually got my hopes up that I might have a future, too. Might actually get a university degree, get a real job…but Kamoshida took all that away.”

“Well…you could still have a future,” Nanako said.

“Nah, I already told you, my studying is shit.”

“Well, it is _now_. But you can get better! You’re not stupid, Ryuji. All you need to do is learn how to study. Just figure out how your brain works and trick it into learning!”

“Yeah, right.”

“I’m serious! In fact, I’ll prove it. I’m going to tutor you.”

“For real? It’ll be a waste of your time.”

“It’s my time, I can do with it what I want,” Nanako said. “That settles it. You help me get in shape, I’ll help you study. We won’t let people like Kamoshida take our futures away. And we have a new place to belong now, don’t we?”

“Hah…I guess we do. All right, fine, deal. But I’m a pain in the ass. I complain a lot.”

“I can take it.”

=====

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The Emperor: Ryuji Sakamoto  
Level 2


	95. 4/25 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can hear the song, can't you?

_Anata no!   
_ _Terebii ni! Jika netto Tanaka~  
_ _Mi, n, na, no, yoku no tomo!_

_“Welcome everyone to another life-changing installment of Tanaka’s Amazing Commodities! Today we have a couple of incredible options for you that only I, the Amazing Tanaka could bring to you today!”_

Nanako looked up from her studies.

_“The first rare item we have is this case of Protein! That’s right, protein! Without it, you can never get the massive gains you’ve been seeking! Let’s be honest: you’ve been waiting for this!”_

“Who the heck would ever buy anything from-”

_“But that’s not all! We also have this case of military grade smoke grenades! Twenty four for only 2,800 yen! It’s a total steal! Just don’t ask where we got them from…”_

“Well, if they’re gonna send me bombs in the mail…”

Nanako dialed the number.


	96. 4/25 - ????

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreams and memories.

_Nana-chan!_

Nanako tried to move, but she couldn’t. She tried to call out. She tried to look at her own hands, turn her head, do anything.

But she couldn’t.

_Nana-chan…where are you…you have to be out there somewhere…it’s beary hard to find you…_

The world was a blue and black haze, a void of cloudy nothingness. Then suddenly, a bright shape appeared into Nanako’s vision. It was round, blue, red, yellow, and had a golden aura around it.

Teddie.

He was running frantically, his little feet making their strange suction cup noises on the ground as a result of his bear suit - the bear suit that Nanako never quite figured out.

Teddie raised his strange bear head and sniffed loudly.

He reached out with his paw and seemed to touch a door that Nanako couldn’t see. Out from his paw grew a bright golden key. He slipped the key into a keyhole and turned it. A door made of a golden outline appeared, and Teddie swung it open. The doorway was filled with more golden light. Teddie leapt in.

There was a flash further off. Teddie appeared in the void again. He ran. He drew out his key and opened another door.

Flash. Teddie was nearby. He ran. He opened a door.

Flash.

Run.

Door.

Flash.

_Nana-chan…I’m so sorry…_

A memory. This was a memory, Nanako realized. The voice at the palace wasn’t Teddie calling out to her, but like the other visions that plagued Nanako, memories that were long buried.

But where was she in this memory? Why couldn’t she move or talk or think? Why could she only watch? And what was this dark void?

Teddie turned and looked up as a long blue limo pulled into view. The door had a golden V encircled in golden ornamentation emblazoned on the side. The door opened and out stepped a tall, regal woman with blonde hair and yellow eyes.

Margaret!

She motioned to the door. Teddie, dejected, scrambled his way into the limo. Margaret turned and looked at Nanako.

She nodded.

Then she stepped into the limo and shut the door.

Nanako woke up.


	97. 4/26 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leader.

-=5 DAYS UNTIL EXPULSION=-

“Come on, come on, let’s go already!” Ryuji said, punching his fist into his open palm. They were gathered on the rooftop. “We’re getting close, and I need to this asshole to pay!”

“I agree. Let’s make him suffer,” Ann said.

Ren stood up and started walking towards the stairs.

“Hold on,” Nanako said.

Everyone stopped.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about something…and I don’t know if it’s going to make a difference or if you’re just going to be irritated by what I have to say, but I feel like I have to say it anyway,” Nanako said. The other three glanced at each other, then sat back down at the table. Nanako stood and took several deep breaths. She’d been thinking about this all morning and all throughout the school day. She’d already broached the subject once, but she felt like she had to push through this one more time.

“You two are very angry,” Nanako said, looking at Ann then Ryuji. “And I think it’s holding us back.”

“The hell? Of course we’re angry!” Ryuji snapped.

“You saw what happened to Shiho,” Ann replied in a cold fury.

“I know, I know, but please hear me out. I don’t think you shouldn’t be angry. You have every right to be. I’m angry too. But I think it’s consuming the two of you. I know we’ve been practicing that but…well it’s like my friend the other day told me, we have to be like water. Gather up the power and release it at the right time.”

“Huh?” Ryuji said.

“Nanako, I know you’re trying to help, but I don’t think this is the time for this,” Ann said. “I can’t let it go. That anger fuels everything I do. I already told you, I’m pretty sure that Carmen is _made_ of my anger. Without it…”

“Yeah, we can’t be calm like you and Ren.”

“Calm?”

Everyone turned to look at Ren.

“You think I’m calm?”

He stood up and walked over to the edge of the roof. He leaned against the railing, balling his fists against.

“I’m not calm. You’ve all heard the rumors about my past. My criminal record. Well, it’s true. I do have a criminal record. But it’s an unfair one. I was trying to protect someone. The aggressor was drunk and fell, but he blamed me for it. He got me arrested for assault, and the judge bought it. I was kicked out of school, my parents sent me to live with a man I don’t know…my whole future in society is at risk because I tried to do the right thing.”

The roof was perfectly quiet. Nanako felt several shades of heartache for Ren. His fists were clenched so tightly that his arms were shaking.

“So you think I’m calm? I’m not. I’m pissed. I’m pissed off at him, at the system, at all of Japan and the society it supports. I live with this rage with me all the time. It’s become this quiet friend that lurks in the background. And every once in a while, it threatens to over take me and cause wanton destruction. If I’m screwed in society anyway, I might as do whatever I want, right? But I don’t. I control it. I tell it to back off and release itself at the right moment. When I swing my knife, when I dodge behind a couch, when I fire my gun, when I summon Arsene…these moments are little explosions of my rage. I measure it out. I target it. I use it as a tool.”

Ren stood up straight, his posture relaxed. He reached up to his face and took his glasses off, slipping them into his pocket.

“When the anger comes too strong, I always ask myself the same question. Do I want to get angry…”

He turned around. His face was composed, cunning, devilish, sexy, and romantic. He was Joker. He was Ren. He was the dark mystery that stole the truth in Inaba. He was the leader of these phantom thieves.

“Or get even?”

Nanako looked at Ryuji and Ann. Ryuji suddenly grinned and Ann shut her eyes and nodded in silent understanding.

“Yeah. I get it,” Ryuji said.

“Right. Revenge is a dish best served cold,” Ann said, in English.

“Then come on,” Ren said. “Today we find the treasure. We secure our route. Today!”

“Right!” Ann said.

“Hell yeah!” Ryuji said.

“That’s our leader,” Morgana said.

“Right behind you,” Nanako said.

Ren pushed open the door to the stairs.

“It’s showtime!”


	98. 4/26 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Traps are set.

“Drop!” Joker ordered.

The thieves dropped from their mad-dash into a sprint. All five of them slid stylishly behind the stone parapet at the top of Kamoshida’s castle to take cover. Above them a dazzling shower of ice needles sprayed through empty air, each sharp enough to draw blood had they been standing there.

“Panther,” Joker said.

Panther leapt onto the top of the parapet and pulled off her mask, striking a pose.

“Persona!”

A dozen feet ahead of her was the Silky, looking grim and determined, radiating an icy aura.

“Agi!”

Carmen summoned fire into her palm and hurled a perfectly formed orb at the Silky. The fire struck true and expanded, like a popping bubble. The fire swallowed the Silky from head to toe, consuming the black inky matter as it lost its form.

There was still anger in Panther’s stance, but it was controlled.

She was getting even.

Panther dropped back down behind the parapet.

“Three more heading at us. One Berith, one Succubus, one Angel,” she said.

“Angel, Skull, Mona,” Joker said.

“Hell yeah!” Skull said.

“Ugh, I wish that Shadow had a different name,” Nanako grumbled, unsnapping the Compendium. She flipped through the pages to the Magician Arcana.

“Time for a stylish victory!” Mona said.

The three thieves leapt over the parapet, charging at the three oncoming shadows.

“Persona change - Jack Frost!”

Nanako squeezed the card.

“Hee ho!”

Jack Frost did a funny jig and formed a boulder of ice. He kicked his funny snowman leg into the boulder and sent it shooting straight at Berith’s charging form.

“Zorro, blow them away!” Mona said, striking a pose at the Succubus. Green wind soared out of the Persona, throwing it against wall.

“Click click, boom, suckas!” Skull yelled, unloading his shotgun into the Angel.

All three shadows died.

“Haha, idiots! You let yourself get flanked!” a tiny, distorted voice called. Nanako spun around and saw the three Pixies swooping down at them from above. She struggled to shut the Compendium and draw her gun.

But she didn’t need to.

Joker swept in from above, using his grappling hook. He made one low, intensely fast swing above the Pixies, his gun firing as he did. The pixies collapsed one by one and melted into the ground just as Joker released himself from the hook. The cable retracted, he landed, tucked his gun away, then adjusted his gloves.

“You just think you’re so cool,” Nanako said, half-joking, half serious. He just grinned.

“One last push, everyone,” Mona called out.

They climbed. Climbing was easier than before, Nanako realized, as their cognition of their abilities as thieves was improving. What would have been a daunting task of scaling a massive tower in the real world was a minor inconvenience here in the Metaverse. Before long they were sliding through a hole in the wall and into an empty room in the upper tower.

“We must be close, the distortions are getting much stronger,” Mona said. “Be careful, the rules of the rest of the palace are not always going to apply.”

Mona was right. The next rooms were a mass of constantly shifting realities - the floor split, stairs rose out of the ground, and Shadows seemed to drip out of the walls. Fortunately, with Skull and Panther’s new mental balance, they still had plenty of energy. That, combined with the Baton Pass, made for quick work of the next few groups of shadows.

“Hey, what’s this?” Nanako asked as they finished clearing the room. There was a strange platform full of gears and levers.

“Looks like…an elevator?” Panther suggested.

“That’s what I thought too. Let’s see where it goes,” Nanako suggested. Joker nodded, and they moved forward with him hitting the switch. There was the sound of a dozens of wooden gears whirling together, and the sound of chains being turned against large wheels. Slowly, the platform lowered.

“Hey hey, this is going the wrong way!” Mona cried.

“It’s fine, elevators go back up too,” Nanako pointed out.

The elevator did go quite far down, all the way back to the entrance hall, where it was revealed that Kamoshida’s gaudy portrait was actually a secret door to the elevator.

“Really? We could’ve been using that the whole time…” Panther complained.

“At least we know where it is now,” Nanako said. “That’ll make getting the treasure much faster.”

“Agreed,” Joker said.

“Hey, look, another one,” Skull said. They all looked down the other hallway: there was in fact another elevator.

“Well? Should we check it out?” Nanako asked.

“Elevators go back up,” Joker replied.

They smirked at each other.

This second elevator descended further into the depths of the palace. Nanako could smell the water before she saw it. She worked through what she knew of the palace and figured they must be passing through the original dungeon that they were brought to.

The elevator stopped into a massive sinkhole with water gushing in from every direction. Was this where all the water in the dungeon was leading?

Empty cages hung from the ceiling while a twisting stone path led forward towards another Will Seed chamber.

“Another Will Seed…” Mona mused.

“Let’s grab it, then back to securing the route,” Joker said.

Nanako went first, followed by Joker, Mona, Panther, and Skull. The path was just about wide enough for two people, but it would put both of them uncomfortably close to the edge of a pathway without railings, so they moved single file. The Will Seed whispered and muttered and chuckled to itself behind its chamber door.

Nanako wondered if she would hear Teddie’s voice again.

Why was that memory triggered in the Will Seed chamber?

Or was that a fluke?

“Angel!”

Nanako was struck hard in the back and sent tumbling forward. She scrambled with her hands to grab onto the stone floor, hoping not to tumble off into the watery abyss below. When she had her balance, she pushed up to her knees and spun around.

It had been Joker that pushed her out of the way of a streaking mass of shadow ink that was now carrying him into the air. There were four more, each carrying one of her teammates into the air above the whirlpool.

“No!” Nanako called out, pulling her gun from her thigh holster.

_Slam!_

Each of her teammates were thrown into one of the hanging cages and the doors slammed shut. Before any of them could react, the inky mass of shadow all finished their transformations into Pixies. The Pixies grabbed the chains and called out “Zio!”

Lightning ran through the bars, electrocuting the team, their bodies shaking and convulsing.

Except for Skull. He was getting hurt, but he was pushing through the pain, reaching for his mask.

“Captain Ki-!”

Skull’s lightning stopped and was replaced by a pink cloud floating around his head. Skull grit his teeth, gripped the bars, and slammed his face against them, trying to ignore the spell effect on his mind. But soon he slumped to the ground, a big smile on his face.

“Marin Karin…” Nanako muttered, knowledge sliding into her mind from the Compendium.

A laugh echoed in the chamber.

“Well, 4 out of 5 isn’t bad. Still a winning score if I do say so myself.”

Nanako looked up and saw a figure standing on one of the empty cages, holding onto the chain and leaning on it.

“Kamothreeda!” Nanako said, aiming her gun. Kamothreeda glared.

“What was that!?”

“Let my friends go!” she demanded.

“No no, dear, you have this all wrong.”

Kamothreeda was thinner and slighter than either of the other two Kamoshidas, but he apparently still had strength in his body. He leapt effortlessly from the cage onto the stone path. He then adjusted his fine butler’s suit and fussed with his hair a bit.

“You walked right into my trap. Your friends are going to die, and you with them, all because you were too damn predictable. You went after one seed, you _had_ to go after the other one. You’re a thorough type of person, aren’t you Nanako-chan?”

“That’s not my name,” Nanako said coldly.

“Oh, but I’m pretty sure it is…your little disguise is horrible. And Kamoshida in the real world is a bit suspicious of you, which is all the cognitive power I need to confirm my deductions,” Kamothreeda said.

Nanako didn’t say anything while her detective brain kicked into overdrive. Kamothreeda was part of King Kamoshida, the shadow form of Kamoshida-sensei. It shouldn’t know anything about cognitions, or that fact that it’s part of a mental construct. And yet it not only knew what the reality Kamoshida was thinking, but could use it to alter its power in the palace.

Why did it know? Did Kamoshida know about the Metaverse?

“Well, then I’ll just have to kill you,” Nanako said. Kamothreeda threw his head back and laughed.

“Oh, no child, you won’t. You can try if you like. But you’ll find I’m going to be quite the stiff opponent. How about a deal instead? You leave the palace now, promise never to return, and you keep your life.”

“And my friends?”

“They die.”

Nanako glanced at them. Ryuji was slumped in a stupor. Morgana, Ann, and Ren all convulsed in their cages as a low level of electricity passed through them. She wasn’t sure if it worked the same way as real electricity, but she knew she couldn’t leave them in there for long.

“What, no response to my deal? Nothing to say?” Kamothreeda said.

“Just one thing,” Nanako said.

“What’s that?”

“ _Izanagi!”_


	99. 4/26 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You'll never see it coming.

Izanagi floated above Nanako. Kamothreeda put his fingers between the gap of his fine tuxedo shirt.

“This is…rather indecent of me…but I need to bare my true power to you!”

Kamothreeda tore open his shirt, sending buttons flying in every direction. His form melted and merged with the shape of a shadow - the name came to her from the Compendium immediately.

Mara. Not quite fully Mara, but a portion of its power merging with the cognitive energy of the severed Kamothreeda…? It was a good theory, but now wasn’t the time for theories.

Especially since it…well…looked like a giant penis.

“Gross…” Nanako grumbled.

“Come closer, little one! King Kamoshida certainly won’t mind if I indulge myself a little…” the distorted voice rumbled from the shadow.

“Izanagi, Cross Slash!”

Her big bro’s razor blade guardian swept down and brought his sword in two savage strikes across the front of the shadow. It recoiled, but didn’t seem to be as damaged as Nanako expected. She frowned.

“Again!

Izanagi attacked again, and once again it took damage, but not a lot. The throbbing green mound shuffled closer to Nanako.

She took a moment to think tactically. Kamothreeda’s shadow was wide enough that it took up the whole path, there wasn’t an easy way to maneuver around it. Kamothreeda had also strategically positioned himself to block the escape - behind Nanako was the door leading to the Will Seed.

“Zio!”

Lightning fell from the sky and danced across Kamothreedamara’s shape.

“Ooh, that tingles~! I’m surprised an innocent looking girl like you is into that…”

“Shut up! Even the cunning, strategic part of you is a pervert!” She unsnapped the Compendium and flipped to the Hierophant arcana. _Watch over me, big bro!_

“Shiisa!” Nanako crushed the card. Izanagi vanished and the temple guardian dog of Shiisa appeared in front of her. “Frei!”

A shimmering emerald-turquoise burst of radioactive energy shot out of his mouth and exploded. Kamothreedamara continued to push forward, this time lunging forward. Shiisa leapt in front of Nanako to take the blow, but it was so strong that Nanako could almost feel it in her body.

This wasn’t working. Kamothreedamara wasn’t particularly dangerous, the Compendium told Nanako that it probably didn’t know any spells. But it was durable and would eventually push her off the edge. Or smother her. And despite her best concentration, her Personas weren’t strong enough to fight Kamothreedamara one on one.

She thought about her big bro again.

She thought about the memory of the strange palace she was in as a child, of the man Namatame and his demon t-shirt form. She thought of big bro’s relentless charge to save her, switching through Personas as effortlessly as he breathed.

But…how many battles had Yu put under his belt before then?

How many palaces had he been in?

Was that why the group went missing? Yukiko, Kanji, Rise, Naoto…had they all had palaces?

Too many thoughts were coalescing at once, and it wasn’t the time for it! Nanako wondered if she was just trying to distract herself from the pure terror running through her. How was she supposed to do this? She wasn’t her big bro.

She wasn’t a charging warrior, a daring savior like he was.

Nanako was…well…

…A thief.

Nanako grinned.

She had an idea.

“Kamothreedamara! I’m going to steal away your victory!” Nanako said. She decided to try striking a pose the way Ann did: she held out her right hand forward, palm up, as if inviting Kamothreedamara to challenge her. She put her other hand behind her back and she stood high up on her toes, like a ballerina.

“Oooh, what soft-looking hands…I want to rub myself all over that smooth skin…”

“Geez, he’s not even listening to my cool speech. Oh well. Prepare for your defeat, courtesy of Tanaka!”

“Who?” Kamothreeda grumbled.

Nanako’s hand, the one that was behind her back, wasn’t just posing. Hanging off the Compendium strap, Nanako had affixed one of her military-grade smoke grenades that had been delivered surprisingly quick. She unsnapped the grenade and hurled it at the base of Kamothreedamara’s body. It erupted in thick gray smoke immediately, clouding the battlefield.

“Hey, what the-!”

Nanako tumbled backward out of the range of the smoke. She looked at Joker first in the cage. She longed to save him, but he was too far. Her heart needed to sit down while her brain got them out of this.

Gun.

Aim.

_Blam blam blam!_

The Pixie pouring electricity into Panther’s cage died. Panther stopped convulsing, and instead lay groaning at the base of the cage. Nanako flipped to the Lovers arcana.

“Pixie!”

Nanako brought out her own Pixie and immediately cast Dia. Shimmering green sparkles swirled around Panther’s fallen form and within a few moments, she was on her knees. Nanako kept glancing at the smoke, which was getting thinner by the second.

“Angel!” Panther cried, getting to her feet. “I’ll help you! Per-”

“No! I need you to catch me!” Nanako cried out.

“W-what!?”

“It’s okay! I trust you. You can do it! You’re my friend, right?” Nanako yelled, making sure the Compendium was properly secured, as well as her gun holstered.

“I…yeah. Yeah!”

“Here goes!”

Kamothreedamara lunged out of the smoke just as Nanako ran forward. She jumped and landed on its head, using it as a springboard to hurl herself over the edge of the path.

Her stomach sank. She was about to plummet into an abyss-like whirlpool and drown.

There was a whip crack.

Panther’s whip ensnared around Nanako’s wrist.

“I did it! Whoa!” Panther yelped as Nanako’s weight sunk onto the whip. She braced herself against the cage and leaned back, pulling as hard as she could. Nanako kicked her legs and used all of the momentum to swing beneath the cage and up and over. Nanako released the whip, spun around, and landed on top of Panther’s cage.

“I need to get the others, cover me!”

“Right! On it!” Panther summoned her submachine gun and let loose with it towards Kamothreedamara.

“H-hey you better not be trying anything stupid! I can fly and you can’t, petty human!” yelled the next Pixie, the one electrocuting Joker.

“Yeah, but can you dodge bullets?”

“W-what!?”

Nanako winked before she fired.

One Pixie died and another was summoned, Dia being cast over Joker. He sprung to his feet, his smokey eyes quickly surveying the situation.

“Catch me,” Nanako said.

She jumped.

Joker sent the grappling cable to her and she repeated the same maneuver to land on Joker’s cage.

“Give me just a second, I’ll be out of here,” he said, reaching for the lock.

“No wait, not yet. I need to get Mona. Mona can get Panther out, I’ll get Skull. That thing is too tough, we need all of us.”

Joker glanced up through the bars.

“Good plan.”

‘Thanks, leader. Get me over there?”

“Hold on,” he said.

He fired the grappling hook over to Mona’s cage and immediately started retracting it. The whole cage swung forward towards Mona’s.

_Wrecking balls move relatively slow, but you wouldn’t say they were weak, would you?_

Chie’s words gave Nanako an idea. She holstered her gun and readied the Compendium.

The Pixie stopped using zio on the cage at the last second, trying to prepare itself to fight off Nanako. But it was way too little too late. Nanako had sunk into the energy of the swinging cage. As she got closer, she pushed through with her legs and hips, turning her shoulders and arms, converting all of the energy from the cage and her own body into the Compendium.

It slammed into the Pixie and turned it into a fine black mist.

Nanako landed on Mona’s cage. Joker released the cable and let his cage swing back while Nanako healed Mona.

“Ugh…got careless…”

“Mona, can you break out and help Panther get out?”

“Lady Ann!? Of course!”

“Great, I need to get Skull. Cover me when you’re done and get ready to move on my mark.”

“You got it, Angel,” Mona said, his paws already working on his lock. Nanako glanced behind her. Joker was working on his lock while Panther had summoned Carmen and was launching streaks of fire down at Kamothreedamara.

Skull’s cage was close to Mona’s, so Nanako wouldn’t need to swing over to it. The Pixie still had Skull in Marin Karin.

“Are you really going to fight me with a fellow Pixie…?” the Pixie whimpered, taking note of the Pixie that Nanako had summoned.

“Mmm…no!”

Quick draw, aim, fire.

Nanako holstered her gun and jumped onto Skull’s cage, healing him.

“God damnit…” He muttered. “What happened?”

“Ambushed. But it’s okay, we’re about to counter-attack. We need to get you out of that cage first…”

“Huh? We can just open the door, can’t we?”

Skull pushed the door of his cage open. Nanako frowned.

“Huh, they didn’t lock yours…that Pixie wasn’t very responsible. Skull shrugged.

“I’ll take the luck where I can get it…what’s the plan?”

Nanako looked over. Joker was perched on his cage. Mona just finished unlocking Panther’s.

“Mona! We need a good push. I’ll use Anzu.”

“Ho-hooo, I see where your head is, Angel. You’re truly a fine right hand woman!”

“Everyone, get ready!” Nanako called out. They nodded. Nanako summoned Anzu.

“Garu!” Nanako and Mona said at the same time. Green wind energy blasted from behind them, shoving them and their cages forward. At the apex of their swing, the team leapt off, falling towards Kamothreedamara from above.

“Strike a pose!” Nanako yelled.

“Yeah, be stylish!” Mona added.

To her surprise, they all did. And the moment they did…something happened. An energy shifted in the Metaverse, a new cognition was starting to take shape.

“All out attack!” Joker called.

They fought. Nanako could barely remember what she did - she knew she was using the Compendium to beat on Kamotheredamara again and again. She remembered leaping and running and sliding and dodging…but it was all a blur. A blur powered by cognition.

When she finally stopped, she skid to a halt back on the pathway. She turned around to look at Joker and Kamothreedamara.

Joker adjusted his gloves.

Kamothreedamara’s skin burst open and inky shadow energy started leaking out.

“Show’s over,” Joker said.

  



	100. 4/26 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secure the treasure.

“This is a hold up!” 

The guns were drawn. Kamothreedamara had transformed back into Kamothreeda. His tuxedo shirt was buttoned again, but Kamothreeda himself looked horrible. He was even paler than before, with sweat glistening across his brow. He knelt on the ground. 

“Mercy…please…don’t kill me…” 

“What do we do with him, Joker?” Skull asked. “Cause I’m eager to finish him off…”

“Can we?” Nanako asked. “If he’s part of his the main Shadow, won’t that…damage his psyche?” 

They all looked to Mona. 

“I’m…not sure…” 

“But if we let him go, he’ll return to the main Shadow, which means that he’ll know what happened here, right?” Panther asked. “It’s not worth the risk. Let’s finish it.” 

“There’s gotta be another way,” Nanako insisted. “Can’t we…I don’t know, contain him?” 

“How?” Panther asked. “Sorry, but I can’t let this fall apart. If Kamoshida knows and we aren’t able to steal his treasure…”

“You don’t know that will happen for sure,” Nanako argued. “Maybe he won’t remember anything. Or maybe he already knows anyway. The palace is an extension of his will already, isn’t it possible that he’s already aware of what’s being done here?” 

They all looked to Mona.

“I…don’t know…” 

“Looks like it’s gotta be your call, leader,” Skull said to Joker. “What do you want to do?” 

Joker didn’t say anything for a long time, just looked down the barrel of his weapon. Kamothreeda knelt there, panting, but not saying a word. Nanako wondered if he was just listening and biding his time or if he was really that incapacitated. 

“I wonder…” Joker said to himself. 

He put his gun away and suddenly rushed forward. He picked up Kamothreeda by the scruff of his neck and dragged him forward along the path. Kamothreeda squirmed.

“No! No! No, please, don’t!” 

“Shut up,” Joker snapped. He dragged Kamothreeda forward until he got to the Will Seed chamber. The rest of the group followed behind. Joker dragged Kamothreeda into the middle of the Will Seed chamber, where the pedestal once stood.

He shoved Kamothreeda’s head against it. 

Vines rose up from the ground and writhed and slithered around Kamothreeda. He struggled and squirmed some more, but Joker kept his hand steady on his head. After a few moments, Kamothreeda was completely enveloped in the vines. He was motionless, his eyes shut. 

Joker finally moved his hand. 

“That should hold him,” he said.

“Whoah…you think on another level than I do…” Skull said. 

“Will that keep him there for long?” Panther asked.

“I don’t know. But it will at least keep him out of the way until we secure the route.” 

Both Nanako and Panther were about to speak when Joker spun around and strode out of the chamber.

“Let’s go.” 

The two girls exchanged a look. 

Nanako supposed this is why a leader had to be chosen in a group. Someone had to make the final call and live with the responsibility of it. Nanako wasn’t sure she agreed with what he did, fully. It didn’t look like Panther did, either. 

But it was a compromise, she supposed. 

They followed. 

They rode the elevators back up to the top of the tower and continued their infiltration. Every shadow from that point on was a very carefully calculated ambush, as everyone was still worn out from their ordeal with Kamothreeda. There was one last swinging scythe trap that they had to secure some keys for, which was handled with cold precision. 

Still, even as careful as they were being, they were worn out by the end. By the time they climbed the female volleyball statue (which Nanako noted was on her torso - the only part that Kamoshida found useful, she supposed) and slipped along the throne room catwalks, there wasn’t much fight left in them. 

But there didn’t need to be.

“So that cloudy thing is the treasure?” Skull asked.

“Yes, but it’s not fully formed. We need to send a calling card to make it manifest. Once Kamoshida is aware that there is a treasure to steal, the cognition will shift it into a physical object that can then be removed. But the effect will only last a day, at most. Once we deliver the card, we have to go into the palace and finish the job.” 

“So there’s still some work to be done…” Panther said. 

“It’ll be safer if we talk about it back in reality,” Nanako suggested.

“Good idea. Let’s head back,” Joker said. 

“Wait. There’s one more Will Seed. I can sense it, somewhere lower on the tower…we should grab it when we can. We don’t want to be distracted when we come for the treasure.” 

“Hm. How is everyone feeling?” Joker asked.

“If we can avoid protracted battles, I think I’m okay,” Nanako said. “Just to get the seed and head home.” 

“Same here,” Panther said.

“Sounds about right,” Skull said. Joker nodded.

“Okay. Then we move slow and careful. No risks.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, we did it! 100 chapters! And I have covered...14 days. 
> 
> ...Persona 6 is gonna be out by the time I finish this, lol.


	101. 4/26 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teddie's key.

“It’s gotta be along the exterior of the tower in a hidden room,” Mona said. “It’s the only thing that makes sense, we can’t find a stairway.” 

“Any shadows?” Joker asked.

“Not that I can sense.” 

“Then I’ll swing in and grab it and be back in a minute. Stay here.” 

“I’m going with you,” Nanako said. 

“There’s no need. There’s no shadows, the Will Seeds don’t seem to be dangerous or trapped,” Joker said.

“There’s also no point in going alone. At least one person should go with you,” Nanako said. 

“If you insist. You three stay here and guard our return path?” 

Skull yawned. “Yeah, sure…hey, you gotta any more soda?” 

Panther hit Skull’s arm. Nanako smiled at them. Joker was already at the window.

“Let’s go.” 

The two of them followed along the ledges outside the tower until they reached a high stretch of wall with a broken chunk of high above them. Joker wrapped his arm around Nanako’s waist and shot out the grappling hook and they flew upwards.

Nanako still thought it would be more efficient for her to have her own grappling hook but…this time it wasn’t so bad. 

He smelled like coffee.

They landed at the top and quickly searched out the final Will Seed chamber. 

“See? Easy,” Joker said with his ready grin. 

“Also didn’t hurt having back up,” Nanako pointed out.

“I guess we’re both right,” Joker said. He pushed open the door and sauntered in, snatching up the Will Seed, then turning around. 

Nana-chan…

Nanako spun around. It was Teddie’s voice, but this time she could hear all the similarity in it - the same pitch, speed, timbre, emotion. It was definitely from the same memory. But why was she experiencing these memories inside Kamoshida’s palace? And why only in the Will Seed chamber? 

Then she saw it.

A tiny golden glow coming from beneath the vines on the wall. She frowned and stepped closer to it. At first the glow had appeared to be a small circle, but now that she drew closer, she could see it was actually a keyhole. 

But to what key? 

Nanako felt a strange warmth in her right hand. It was a different warmth than the blue flame she felt when the Persona cards in her hand. It was gentler, kinder, and left her with a strange sense of innocence. 

She looked down and saw the key.

Teddie’s key. 

What was going on? Why was Teddie’s key materializing in the Metaverse? 

Was he behind the door? 

Without a second thought, Nanako shoved the key into the hole and turned it. When she did, an outline of a door appeared in the wall, just as it had in that blue-black void in her memory. The wall folded inward, like a door, leading to an intense golden light.

Nanako ran in. 

“What the…?” 

Nanako had no idea where she was. 

Based on the sunny landscape around her, she knew that she was in the countryside somewhere in Japan. But it wasn’t Inaba, that she knew for certain. And it wasn’t anywhere she recognized. Certainly nowhere near Tokyo. 

Ahead of her on a street were four boys who looked like they were in their late elementary school years. One was exceedingly tall and the other three were circling around him, like hungry sharks. 

“Hey, excuse me!” Nanako called out. Nobody looked her way. She raised her hands to try and use them as a megaphone, but stopped when she realized her hands were glowing with a yellow outline. 

Wherever she was, no one could interact with her. She turned to try and see if the door was still there, but it wasn’t. The key was gone from her hand, too. Nanako turned and walked towards the boys - maybe she could interact with them if she were a bit closer. 

“Bean pole, bean pole, ring around the bean pole!” one of the boys mocked. 

“Hey maybe we can tie up ribbons on his dumb head just like they do in the Netherlands or whatever,” another one said.

“Come on guys, just go away,” the tall boy said. He was slouched over, as if trying to make himself less tall, less of a target. 

“Leave that kid alone!” Nanako yelled. Again, nobody reacted to her. 

“Come on guys, just go away~” the third one mocked. “Shut up, too-tall! Nobody wants your dumbass opinion, we just want you to get stuff from the top shelf!” 

“Yeah, look at him, what a freak! His pants don’t even go all the way to his ankles!”

“I heard his mom is too poor to buy him new clothes.” 

“Anyone would be too poor to buy him new clothes with how fast he grows. Maybe he should get a job at the circus to help out his family!”

“S-stop!” the tall boy said. He balled his fists, his anger starting to overtake his shock and embarrassment. But Nanako knew bullies - they knew when to strike to keep their targets in line. Just as the tall boy was getting to the point where he might realize his size would let him fight back, they all rushed in and pushed him. The tall boy fell hard, and the three others started kicking at his legs and body. 

“Timberrrr! The tree fell down!” 

“Yeah, stay down there, you’ll actually fit in for once!”

They stopped kicking after a moment. Two of the boys started sauntering off while the third waited behind to spit on him, then chant a rhyme he made up on the spot.

“Suguru Ka-mo-shiiii-da! No-body wants to beeee-ya!” 

Nanako felt her chest clench. 

Was it really Kamoshida as a kid? Nanako rushed over to push the last boy aside, but her hand passed right through him.

This was a memory. Kamoshida’s memory. 

The whole world spiraled out of control, vanishing back into inky darkness. Then, like changing the channel on a television, there was a whole new reality. 

Kamoshida in a uniform. Third year middle school, if Nanako had to guess. Now he looked more like the Kamoshida she knew, at least in the face. But his hair was awkwardly cut with the curls a bit too out of control. He was also still rail thin, lacking all of the muscle that was now packed onto his frame. 

They were standing behind some school building that she didn’t recognize, again in a town she didn’t know. Kamoshida was standing in front of a girl who was much shorter than her. She was pretty, Nanako decided, with short black hair and a lovely shaped face. 

“Did you want something, Kamoshida-kun?” the girl asked. 

“U-uh…y-yeah, well…it’s just that…you know, we’ve been talking a bit lately” 

“Yeah?” the girl said.

“And um…I just…I like you, Ayame. Maybe you want to go out on a date?” 

The girl burst out laughing. 

“That’s a funny one, Kamoshida-kun! I thought you were serious there for a second!” 

“I…”

Kamoshida managed to place a fake smile on his face.

“Haha…yeah…good one, right?” 

“Well, I gotta go, see ya later!” Ayame said, turning to jog off. Kamoshida lingered, watching her go, until she finally went out of sight. Kamoshida then folded in on himself like a collapsing praying mantis, his awkward limbs compressing into a strange ball as he sat on the ground and cried. 

He cried for several minutes, and all Nanako could do was watch.

Then, a door swung open. Kamoshida looked up, his face tear-stained and his nose dribbling with snot. A man in a track shorts and with a whistle and stop watch around his neck came out and looked over at him. 

“The hell you doing out here, Kamoshida? What are you crying about?” 

“N-nothing, sorry. I’ll go.” 

Nanako watched the coach. At first he seemed annoyed to find Kamoshida there, but a wave of compassion passed over his face.

“Y’know, today’s volleyball tryouts. You should come with me.” 

“M-me? Why?”

“Why? Look at yourself, son! You’re a giant! You’re perfectly shaped for volleyball. You just need a little practice and you could be a great player. Come on, let’s stop moping around about whatever dumb chick broke your heart and let’s get you some balls!…er, that came out wrong.” 

As the coach and Kamoshida walked off, the channel changed again.

This place, Nanako recognized. It was the gym at Shujin. Now there was Kamoshida in the volleyball team uniform. He looked to be a third year now, and was playing in practice. He was fast and strong and spiked the ball hard again and again, crushing his own teammates under the sheer force of his ability. 

“Terenosuke, stop sucking!” a coach, different from the middle school coach, yelled from the sideline. “Why can’t you pussies be more like Kamoshida? Care about the damn game, care about winning, damnit!” 

“It’s all right coach,” Kamoshida said as he sauntered over to his water bottle. “I can do enough to carry the whole team.” 

“I know that, Suguru-kun, but we need to think tactically about this. Remember, the scouts are going to be at this next game, and if you juts look like a show-off ball hog they’re never going to consider you. I need the damn team to support you so you can show your whole game abilities.” 

“Right, coach. I’m sure they won’t let me down.” 

“Well I’m not! The rest of you asshats get to running! Forty laps around the gym! Suguru-kun, you go rest up. No exertion, go to bed early, hydrate, and no sex. Got it?” 

“Yes, coach.” 

Kamoshida gathered his things and head into the hallway of the practice building. Nanako followed. 

As he walked through the school, Nanako saw people wave at him, give him high fives, and just call out his name. Kamoshida was the definition of the popular jock. He acknowledged every person…but not quite the same way that Nanako knew him. There was still a shy smile in his mannerisms, a sort of gentleness leftover from the tall elementary boy. 

“Hey, Kamo-kun~” a very beautiful girl called out as Kamoshida reached the entrance.

“Oh, uh, hey there Rei-chan. What’s up?” 

“Mmm, well you could be, if you want to. My parents are out of town, and I have the place all to myself~” 

“Ahh, well, you know I can’t, I have a big game tomorrow. Also you know I’m dating Ayame.” 

“Oh, are you? I didn’t know that was still a thing anymore,” the girl, Rei, said. 

“Huh? What do you mean?” 

“Well when I saw Ayame out with Tohru-kun the other day, I figured you two were done. I mean, the two of them were awfully close. Lots of snuggling up, and I think I saw them kiss. O-oh! I just realized what I must be telling you, I’m so sorry.” 

Kamoshida looked shocked and betrayed. 

“Well, that’s okay right Kamo-kun? You deserve better. Hotter. Sexier. I can do things that Ayame wouldn’t even imagine. I know I shouldn’t be so direct and lewd but…with you, I just can’t help it.” 

“I…need to go,” Kamoshida said. He turned and started running down the street, leaving the pouting Rei behind.

The channel changed. 

Kamoshida was walking down a hallway with another tall man. They both had on uniforms with the Japanese sun on them. They both looked in their 20s. 

“I uh…are you sure about this?” Kamoshida asked.

“Hell yeah I’m sure!” the other athlete said. “This is the  olympics . The hottest athletes in the world are here to hook up. And believe me, when you see these two little gymnasts, you’re gonna thank me for the rest of your life.” 

“You got two girls to come meet us?” 

“Nah man,  two each . You never had sex with two girls at the same time? Oh man, you’re gonna be in for a new reality. You’ll never want to go back.” 

The two walked into a hotel room and shut the door. 

The channel didn’t change this time, though. This time, the door had a golden light leaking out of it, and Teddie’s key hung from the door. Nanako quickly reached out and turned it, flinging the door open and running through. 

She stumbled into the Will Seed chamber. Joker was only one more step from where he was - had all of that happened in less than a second? 

Nanako didn’t have the wherewithal to think it through. She fell to her knees.

She cried. 


	102. 4/26 - ????

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Explanations demanded and received.

“Sleep!” Nanako yelled into her pillow.

She had cried too long in the Will Seed chamber. Joker had to pull her out and back to the group.

“Sleep!” she squeezed her pillow tighter around her head.

They had made their way back to the entrance and returned to the real world. They were exhausted, excited, and ready to face the next day.

“Sleep, god damnit!”

Nanako went home. Her phone had been chiming like crazy as the rest of the team tried to make preparations. But Nanako couldn’t read those texts. She couldn’t think of tomorrow.

“Sleep!”

It was only 7PM. There was no way she would sleep now.

But she needed to.

“I need answers! SLEEP!”

Frustrated, she got out of her bed and threw the pillow. It hit the desk, knocking the Compendium and her gun onto the floor. She sighed, felt silly about her outburst, and picked up the pillow. Then she picked up the Compendium.

And she sunk.

“Hello, Nanako,” Margaret said. “You don’t need to sleep to visit me, just use the-”

“Shut up, I have questions,” Nanako snapped. Margaret looked shocked at first. Then amused.

“I will answer what I can,” she replied.

“What the hell was that about!?” Nanako said, storming over to the cage. “Why would you do that? I didn’t want to see that!”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Margaret said.

“Don’t lie to me! Have you been lying to me this whole time? I saw it. I saw you and Teddie in that void. I saw his key. You gave me that same key, didn’t you?”

Margaret tipped her head and held her chin, looking very confused.

“Teddie? The Star? Oh…oh I see. How strange. Yes, once upon a time, Teddie did wander through the world between dream and reality, the world you call the Metaverse. My master and I were using the Velvet Room as a limousine at the time and we ended up picking him up for a brief chat. Your big bro was there as well.”

“But what about the key? What is it and why did you give it to me?”

“I don’t know of any key,” Margaret said. “Explain it to me.”

Nanako did - the story of Teddie creating doors, of her hearing the voices in the Will Seed chamber, of her opening her own door. Margaret listened with fascination.

“Ah…this is very interesting indeed.”

“I don’t want it to be interesting, I want it to be understood!” Nanako demanded.

“The key is just a visual representation of Teddie’s natural abilities. For some reason, you are perceiving it as an object, when there is no object at all - simply Teddie’s natural talent to navigate the Metaverse. Your memory is from when he was trying to find you.”

“When I was kidnapped,” Nanako said.

“No. Afterwards. When you died.”

“I…what?” Nanako said. Suddenly all of her rage fluttered out, like a gust turning into a breeze. “I died?”

“Briefly, yes. Your soul was under too much stress from your ordeal and you wished to depart the living world. But you lingered, and eventually, you returned. In the interim, though, Teddie tried to use his ability to locate you here. He was unable to, of course, but it was a valiant effort. Your soul must have perceived his actions, which is why you are able to remember it.”

Nanako sat down on the floor in front of Margaret’s cell.

“Teddie can navigate the Metaverse? Why?”

“Because he’s a shadow. Or at least, he was born a shadow.”

Nanako’s mouth dropped wide open. “Like…a shadow shadow? One of the enemies I’ve been fighting?”

“Indeed. He is a being from the Sea of Souls…though I’m not quite sure what he is now. Regardless, you have perceived what he could do in creating pathways through what you call the Metaverse. And in doing so, you unlocked your own ability.”

“My own ability?”

“Though many can enter what you call the Metaverse, few can summon their Personas. Of those who can summon a Persona, there are even fewer who can wield multiple, whom we call the Wild Cards. Still fewer yet are those who are mysteriously granted additional abilities within what you call the Metaverse, abilities that are unique to the user. It seems you possess one such ability - the ability to view the memories of others.”

“Why do I have it?”

“I do not know. I doubt even my master would know that. It is just something that happens…however, I tend to believe in Fate, so I believe that Fate has granted you these abilities for a specific purpose,” Margaret said.

“That can’t possibly be true,” Nanako said. “The last thing I wanted was to see that man’s memories.”

“And why is that?”

“Because…because! He is a monster! He abuses students, he sexually harasses and rapes the female students, he manipulates everything around him to get his way! He is horrifying, and he must be punished. He must be brought to justice!”

“I do not see how viewing his memories interferes with that,” Margaret said.

“Because it makes him a person!” Nanako yelled. “It means that at one point he _wasn’t_ a monster! He was once an innocent child. He was once the victim, not the perpetrator. He grew into his abusiveness by the people around him, by taking on negative qualities of the people who made him feel important and loved. He’s not just some monster that came crawling out of the Metaverse. He could have been different, and he could be different and…it makes hurting him seem wrong.”

Margaret didn’t speak for a long while. Nanako only heard her own breathing, which had gotten quick and ragged. Slowly, she calmed down.

“Do you want him to die?” Margaret asked.

“No. I want him to face justice under the law by confessing his crimes with his own mouth.”

“Indeed. But to do that…well, he would have to be alive, wouldn’t he?”

“Yes, that’s what I just said,” Nanako said, annoyed.

“But then if you steal away his desires, there must be something left to confess the crimes. If you are intending to remove his distorted desires, then there must be a good person beneath to live on, does there not?”

“I…suppose.”

“The memories are the transformation. You have seen what he once was and what he can be again.”

“That seems so contradictory,” Nanako said. “I hate him. But I also feel bad for him. I don’t want to feel bad for him, because it makes hating him harder, it makes me doubt what I need to do…”

“The greatest people in reality are those who can live in a space of contradiction,” Margaret said. She held out her two hands, and once again, two tarot cards appeared in them - Justice, and the Fool.

“You have an unbending sense of justice. You must see that wrongs are corrected and prevented when possible. This is what you were, even as a child. It is what made you such an excellent choice for the Justice arcana.”

She closed her hand and the Justice card disappeared.

“However…you also have an incredible amount of empathy. You feel for others, you care about their problems, and you can’t help but insert yourself into them. This is a trait that is absolutely essential for The Fool, and for the Wild Card. That power is built out of the power of bonds, and strong bonds require strong empathy.”

She closed her other hand and that card vanished. She pushed her hands together, then revealed a new card with Justice on one side and The Fool on the other.

“You are both Justice and The Fool. Both are true, despite the contradiction therein. And that is only one of many contradictions that can coexist.”

“That…really doesn’t make sense. It’s so confusing,” Nanako said.

“This is the hardest lesson of life. And it is one that many adults never comprehend. But if you can master that contradiction, then you can be truly strong. You can both punish this man and save him.”

Margaret flourished her hand and the card vanished. She then glanced left and right,, her eyes narrowed as if she could see something written in the air.

“You have to go. I’ve attracted too much attention. Keep on the path, Nanako! Strengthen your bonds, and you’ll understand!”

Nanako sat up in her bed. Her phone was ringing. She fumbled around for it, grabbed it, and went to swipe up to answer the call.

“Are you okay?” Ren asked without even a hello.

“Yes. Sorry, I was just uh…”

“I told the others that you overdid it in the Palace. They don’t seem to notice one way or the other,” he said. “So don’t worry about that. But really…are you okay?”

His deep voice was so comforting, it made Nanako want to melt into his arms and just lay there quietly and exist.

“I am. But I saw something…strange. And I think I need to tell you. I think I need to tell all of you a lot of things.”

“Come over, then. We’re all here at Leblanc, preparing for tomorrow.”

“Now?” Nanako lowered her phone and glanced at the time. It was just getting to be 8 o’clock.

“Yeah. Sojiro closed up for the day, no one is here. There’ll be plenty of coffee, and Ann just went out to get a cake,” Ren said. “Plus…it’ll make me feel better to see you in person and know you’re doing okay.”

Nanako’s heart melted.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll be right over.”

Nanako changed, used the bathroom, and gathered her things. She texted Yu and Rise that she’d be out for a bit, then went to the elevator.

She was on her way to a war meeting.

…With cake and coffee.

Preparing for battle and hanging out with friends. Contradictions existing in the same space, Nanako realized. Margaret’s words were still hard for her to wrap her head around, but she was staring to see that there was a kernel of truth in them.

Maybe she’d find her true self before this was all over.

=====

SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
The Fool: Margaret  
Level 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's talk about these last two chapters! 
> 
> I think Seiji put it best when they said "what the fu-" 
> 
> This was the reaction I was going for, and I'm so glad so many of you felt it! If you had conflicting feelings about feeling any ounce of sympathy for Kamoshida, don't feel bad. I'm right there with you! I work in education, so Kamoshida's crimes against students infuriates me on a special level. 
> 
> That said, I do think it's important to look at people's actions as a mixture of choice and circumstance. We don't know much about the "canon" Kamoshida's past life. It's possible he was an arrogant ass from when he was a kid. My version is a slightly re-imagined version, where he felt like an outsider, and then when he finally felt accepted, fell into some bad habits and beliefs from the people that gave him that acceptance. 
> 
> I LOVE that so many of you said that this backstory "explains but doesn't excuse" and that is completely what I was going for. Kamoshida never HAD to do any of the things he did. His actions were understandable, maybe even sympathetic in some scenes, but it would never justify the distortion of a palace. 
> 
> I especially enjoyed writing this scene with Nanako and Margaret. I truly, deeply believe that the more contradictions you can accept at the same time, the better you can move through life. There's a half dozen quotes about it from people who are smarter and wiser than I am, but this was a lesson that took me a while to learn. It is possible to punish Kamoshida and save him at the same time. It's possible to do that with all of them - that's what makes the Phantom Thieves so interesting to me. 
> 
> The one thing I love about writing Nanako into P5 is that she brings sincerity. I'm playing P5R now and where I think the writing misses the mark is that in moments that they should be sincere and heartfelt they're trying to make a stupid joke (like the Ryuji getting beaten up scene or the argument with Mona, etc.) It is missing those moments to tie down the real love of the relationships. Nanako gets to fill in that space and force the Phantom Thieves to be sincere and honest and open. 
> 
> I think P4 and P5 have perfect colors for their games. P4 is yellow - full of light and joy and hope. P5 is red - anger, passion, style, and cleverness. Nanako's yellow lightens up the red just a tiny bit...
> 
> Okay that's WAY TOO MUCH RAMBLING for me. I'm glad you're all enjoying it still! Thanks for trusting me on all these curveballs, and I hope you enjoy them.
> 
> ...because more are coming >:D


	103. 4/26 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confessions and plans.

“Nanako!”

Nanako turned around to see Ann rushing up behind her with a box in hand. The two were in the narrow alley of Yongen, right in front of Leblanc.

“Hey, glad you’re here! Are you okay? You looked…I don’t know, upset.”

“I was. But I’m better now. Actually, I think I need to talk about it with you guys.”

“Okay, yeah. But cake first!” she said, holding the box triumphantly. Nanako smiled.

The bell on the door rang as they strode through the front. Ann turned and locked the door behind them. The air was thick with the smell of coffee, but there was no one there.

“They’re upstairs,” Ann explained. She led the way.

In his room, Ren had moved the table so the couch could be used on one end. There were also a couple of chairs and a stool set up for seating. There was a carafe of coffee in the center of the table, along with several white mugs. Ryuji sat at one seat, sniffing his coffee suspiciously. His looked like it had so much cream in it that it was almost white. He sipped it.

“Eh…”

Ren sat with his legs crossed, deep in thought. It wasn’t until Ann set the cake down that he finally looked up.

“Nanako…I’m glad you’re here,” he said.

“I am too,” she said. They looked at each other for a moment. Nanako felt like there was a lot to say, but she couldn’t find any words to say it. She got the same feeling from Ren, too.

Ann went downstairs to get plates and a knife and sliced the cake expertly. It was a grocery store angel food cake, and was pretty good, especially with the black coffee. The sugar and the caffeine was starting to make Nanako feel alert again.

“Mm…I could eat cake for every meal…” Ann said dreamily.

“Sweets are like your staple food, huh? You better be careful, you’ll get fat,” Ryuji said.

“Hey!”

“If we’re all done stuffing our faces, we have a very important meeting to get started,” Morgana said.

“Hey, you ate just as much as we did,” Ryuji said.

“That’s not the point! We need to discuss the calling card and when to execute it,” Morgana said.

“Tomorrow would be best,” Ren said. “Golden Week is coming up, and after that is the school board meeting. We are short on time.”

“I agree,” Morgana said. “The sooner the better.”

“Ooh! Ooh! Let me handle the calling card!” Ryuji said. “This is gonna be so badass…”

“Uh…I’m not so sure about that,” Ann said.

“Huh? Why not?” Ryuji asked.

“Your Japanese isn’t that great, what if you make a grammatical mistake?” Ann said.

“Like yours is any better!”

“That’s not the point! Maybe Ren should do it.”

“Ryuji will be fine,” Ren replied. Ryuji puffed up and grinned. Ann shrugged.

“Well, okay…”

“Once the calling card is sent, we will need to steal the treasure that day. However, it’s more than likely the palace will be on high alert,” Morgana explained.

“That’s why we needed our route secured?” Ann asked.

“Exactly, Lady Ann. Now that we have the palace completely mapped out and understood, it should be a piece of cake to infiltrate.”

Ann made a face and patted her stomach when Morgana said “cake.”

“The thing is, it might not just be enough to have the route secured. Which is why Ren and I have been working on-”

“Hold on,” Nanako said. Everyone stopped and looked at her. “There’s something I need to say. Something really important.”

Everyone waited. Nanako said nothing. Suddenly the nerves were seizing her up. What if they hated her after she said what she had to say? What if she was about to lose the first deep friendships she’d ever made?

“What is it, Nanako?” Ann prodded gently.

“It’s about why weird things keep happening to me in the Metaverse,” Nanako said.

“Stop. You don’t have to do this,” Ren said, sitting up. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter, Ren.”

“What are you talking about?” Ryuji asked, looking between the two of them.

“It’s about…” Nanako looked at Ren. Did he know what she was going to say? If so…how? Ren had said that she was “famous”…was that what he meant?

“Nanako…?” Ann asked. She looked worried.

“Ten years ago, there was a serial killer in my hometown of Inaba,” Nanako said. Both Ann and Ryuji looked shocked at the sudden turn in topic, but Ryuji frowned.

“Oh yeah…I think I remember hearing about that…but what does that have to do with you?”

“My dad is a detective and he worked on that case. Near the end of the case, when the police were getting close and the culprit was getting desperate…I was kidnapped.”

Ann gasped and put her hand on her mouth. Ryuji and Morgana were wide-eyed.

Ren folded his arms and looked at the table.

“I almost died, as a result. So did my dad. But we both recovered, the culprit was captured, and that was sort of the end of it. To be honest, I never knew much more about it than that. I was pretty young and my memories of what happened were hazy at best. Dad, understandably, didn’t want to talk about it much as I got older. Nobody I knew did. I think they were trying to protect me. But…recently, I’ve started to remember some of it. It started out as a dream, but things keep getting clearer and clearer. And…I’m pretty sure that this isn’t the first I’ve been in the Metaverse.”

“Wait, what?” Ryuji said.

“You’ve been before?” Morgana said, shocked.

“Why?” Ann asked.

“I don’t know. I can’t remember why, exactly. But this power of Persona…Izanagi, the ability to change my Personas…it’s a power borrowed from my big bro. Well, he’s not really my brother, he’s my cousin, but…anyway…the point is, I think somehow the serial killer was using the Metaverse to commit his crimes, and I was dragged in there to suffer a similar fate. My big bro saved me.”

“That’s incredible…” Morgana said.

“That’s horrible,” Ann said.

“When we’re in the Metaverse, sometimes these memories come rushing back to me and it’s disorienting. That’s why sometimes I freeze up or faint or cry or…am generally useless…”

“Hey, that’s understandable, considerin’ what you went through in there,” Ryuji said.

“Thank you…but I think…”

Nanako took a deep breath.

“I think you should go take the treasure without me.”

“No.”

Ren stood up.

“No. We need you. There’s no way we can do this without you. If you hadn’t been there today, we would have died,” Ren said.

“That’s nice of you, but you pushed _me_ out of the way. If you hadn’t had to do that, you could’ve dodged it yourself…”

“No. I won’t accept any other way,” Ren said.

“Yeah, Ren’s right,” Ann added. “You’re strong, Nanako. And you’ve been a huge help to me and the team. We can’t do this without you.”

“Besides, you’re pissed off at Kamoshida too, ain’t ya? Could you really stop now and let it go?” Ryuji asked.

“I am…but that’s the other thing I need to tell you about.”

Nanako told them about her experience in the Will Seed chamber. She left out the parts about Margaret and Teddie, since they would take too long to explain and she wasn’t sure they would follow. But she explained that somehow she had accessed his memories while in there, and told them what she saw.

“So…you feel some sympathy for him now?” Ann asked darkly. She was looking at her lap now, her voice cold.

“No. It doesn’t excuse him for anything he did. He had troubles in his life, but so have all of us. He let himself become distorted by his desires and he needs to be held accountable for that…but I don’t want him to die.”

“I don’t either,” Ryuji said. “As much of a bastard as he is, I don’t want to become a murderer. That’s almost worse than doing nothing.”

“I don’t think any of us want his death,” Morgana added.

Everyone looked at Ann.

“…You’re worried that you’ll lose your nerve, though,” Ann said to Nanako, looking up. “That’s why you want to stay behind. You’re worried you’ll try to stop me and we won’t steal the treasure.”

“Yes. Between that and my flashbacks…I could ruin it. And if Morgana says we only have one chance…”

Ann stood up and walked over to the other side of the room, leaning against the railing by the stairs. Her fingers gripped into the rail.

“You’re my friend, right?” Ann said.

“Yes.”

“…Then I’ll trust you.”

“…Thank you, Ann,” Nanako said. She turned to Ren. “Are you sure you want me there?”

“Without question,” he said. He reached up and took his glasses off, looking at her straight in the eyes. “But I won’t make you. Will you stay with us?”

Nanako felt her heart pounding.

“Yes.”

“All right. Glad that’s taken care of,” Ryuji said. “It’s getting late and I gotta start working on the calling card…anything else you need us to work out?”

“Ryuji, you’re terrible at reading the situation…” Morgana said, rolling his eyes. “And yes, there is. Ren and I have been working on a plan. We need to go over it.”

Ren laid out a stack of papers. Nanako’s eyes widened.

“What is all this!? It’s…so detailed!”

“Pay attention everyone,” Ren said.


	104. SIR SUGURU KAMOSHIDA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...

**SIR SUGURU KAMOSHIDA,**

The **UTTER BASTARD** of **_LUST_**

We know how **SHITTY** you are

and that you put your _**TWISTED DESIRES**_

on **STUDENTS** that _**CAN'T FIGHT BACK.**_

That's why we've decided to **STEAL**

away those desires and make you

**CONFESS YOUR SINS.**

This will be done _**TOMORROW**_ _,_

so we hope you will be ready.

From: _**The Phantom Thieves of Heart**_


	105. 4/27 - Early Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast.

“Hey, are you okay?” Yu asked at the breakfast table. Nanako looked up.

“I’m a…”

What? A little nervous. Worried. Scared. What could she tell him that would make any sense but wouldn’t cause him to ask a hundred questions? How could she tell him what she really felt?: that she wished he would just go in and fix everything so she wouldn’t have to. How could she admit that right there, sitting at the table, she felt six years old again, and that she just wanted to be taken care of?

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Yu had gotten up and set his hand on her.

“Whatever it is, you can do it. I believe in you.”

Nanako smiled. As generic as those words were, they were the ones she needed to hear.

After her discussion with the team last night, there were a lot of doubts and insecurities running through her. Everything _seemed_ okay but…was it? She had so much she still wanted to say and ask and talk about with each and every one of them.

But she had to put it all aside. That could come later. Today they had to be 100% focused on the task.

Today they had to steal Kamoshida’s heart.

“Thanks, big bro.”

Yu bent down and hugged her.

…Then stole one of her strawberries.

“Yoink.”

“Hey!”

  



	106. 4/27 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hallway.

“Hey did you see this?”

“It was here before I got here…I think it’s been here since early this morning.”

“Phantom Thieves of Heart?”

“What is this drawing…”

“Do you think it’s true? Did Kamoshida-sensei do something wrong?”

“Maybe this has to do with Suzui…”

The Shujin students went silent. Kamoshida stalked down the hall.

“What the…who the hell did this!? Was it you!? You!?”

“Well, well…typical response from someone with guilt on their conscience,” Morgana said from tucked away in Ren’s school bag.

“Yeah…but did the card have to be so lame?” Ann asked.

“What!? I looked up a bunch of similar stuff last night, it’s exactly like that.”

“Well, yeah, it’s just…what’s with the drawing?”

“It’s our logo!”

“Really? And what about the phrasing? I mean I get what you were trying to say, but…”

“Are you for real right now?” Ryuji said. He turned to Ren and Nanako. “What do you guys think?”

“It’s okay if you’re not a great artist,” Ren said.

“And we’ll work on the grammar for next time,” Nanako added.

“Aw come on…”

“He’s coming this way,” Morgana said. “Split up, and we’ll reconvene after school. Don’t draw any attention to yourself.”


	107. 4/27 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life Will Change

“Everyone remember what they’re supposed to do?” Mona asked.

“Yeah, yeah, I spent all night studyin’ it,” Skull grumbled.

“Then everyone stay cool and stick to your part. Remember if you run into trouble, head to your safe room and wait for Joker to come get you,” Mona said.

“Yeah, yeah can we just start already?” Skull said, twisting his arm in a circle as he always did. Nanako glanced over at Joker.

“Any last words, leader?”

Joker took a step away from the group and looked up at the dark castle against the red sky.

“If we do our jobs right, then…the people who were affected by Kamoshida and every student of Shujin Academy, present and fuuture…for them…life will change.”

Nanako could feel everyone get fired up.

“It’s showtime!”

There were two infiltration points - the hole in the wall, and the objects that led to the window that led to chandeliers over the main hall. Joker and Mona went left, to the original hole in the wall. Nanako, Skull, and Panther went right, climbing the boxes and bricks to the window.

Nanako gave one last look at Joker before he vanished inside.

 _Good luck_ , she thought. _And be careful_.

The three of them leapt onto the chandeliers and looked below. Shadows were gathered in the center, rushing around in a panic. The whole palace had an aura of panic and chaos fueled by Kamoshida’s cognition and the effects of the calling card. Nanako could hear them barking orders and yelling contradictory ideas of where they were going to attack and why.

Perfect conditions.

The three of them knelt on one of the chandeliers.

“Be careful, Angel,” Panther said in a low voice.

“I will. You too.”

They held hands and gripped them tight.

“Skull…we’re counting on you, too,” Nanako said.

“Heh, no problem.”

Nanako reached across the leather strap of the Compendium and unhooked one of the smoke grenades and dropped it to the entryway floor.

The smoke added to the frenzy of the shadows below and the group of them immediately transformed into their true shadow forms. Nanako and Panther already dropped from above, landing in the thickest portion of the smoke.

They gave each other one last high five.

Then Nanako opened the Compendium.

“Valkyrie!”

The Strength arcana Persona grasped Nanako by the hand and carried her forward, charging relentlessly up the center stairs until it plowed into the side of Kamoshida’s disgusting portrait. The portrait spun, allowing Nanako into the hidden chamber with the elevators. She continued on towards the tower elevator.

Meanwhile, Panther remained in the center of the smoke. Shadows were yelling and waving their appendages. One Berith, the commander, was trying to rally the others to follow the blurred shape of Nanako and Valkyrie up the stairs.

“Persona!”

Carmen’s flaming figure appeared in the smoke, looking like a demon.

“Hello boys,” Ann said, striking a pose. “Incinerate them, Carmen!”

Carmen’s fire was boosted by her anger and rage, drawing a serpentine twist of fire across the floor that left a four meter wall of fire in its wake. More smoke filled the room. Shadows too slow to dodge the fire were set ablaze - most died immediately, but a few were unlucky enough to dive out of the way and slowly burn.

Panther spun around and directed her attention at a pair of floating Angels and thought concentrated blasts of rage at them. Tightly compacted balls of fire were summoned from the end of Carmen’s delicate hands, streaked through the air, and consumed the shadows where they floated.

She turned again and fired smaller blasts of flame at anything that might catch on fire - furniture, carpets, tapestries, even the doors. Panther’s job was to fill the bottom floor with as much flame as she could summon and attract on the attention.

Between the intense heat, smoke, and other chaos, everything was under control. Morgana and Joker had warned, though, that it wouldn’t hold. She had to keep up the pressure long enough for the rest of the team to do their parts.

**-=BANQUET HALL=-**

“Over here, assholes!”

_Blam blam blam!_

Skull spun the shotgun away after the shadows vanished from his attack. He ran towards a Cait Sith, who had positioned himself on a table so that it might use the height and get its sword at Skull’s neck level. Skull just ran forward, dropped, skid on his kneepads, and then cracked his pipe into the Cait Sith’s ankles.

The shadow screeched, crumpled, then melted.

“Time to pillage, Captain Kidd!”

He ripped off his mask and the spectral pirate appeared. Skull and the Captain both quickly started reaching out to the shelves, pulling out every bottle they could get their hands on and tossing them into the floating ship. Once it was full up, he turned and ran, focusing on keeping his Persona summoned - one falter of concentration and his part of the plan could be ruined.

He burst through the doors into the spiral staircase, where two Bicorn were waiting. The Captain rushed forward, smashing his bow into the first, pressing the Bicorn’s neck against the wall. He then turned his hand, under Skull’s command, and fired lightning from his arm cannon. The second Bicorn fizzled out in a shower of sparks while the first was pressed into a liquid, like a juiced orange.

“No time for small fries like you,” Skull announced. He kept running up the stairs with Captain Kidd close behind.

**-=LOWER WILL SEED CHAMBER=-**

The chamber door opened.

“Oh good, you’re still here,” Joker said. He took two strides and grabbed Kamothreeda by the neck and tore him free from the Will Seed pedestal. Kamothreeda squealed in pain, and then terror.

“What are you doing!? I’ve been stuck there for a day, having the same horrid nightmares…”

“Shut up,” Joker said as he dragged Kamothreeda from the chamber and back onto the walkway. He pulled off his mask. “Silky!”

The green-skinned housemaid floated forward and meekly held out her hands towards one of the waterfalls. The word _bufu_ appeared his mind and the power of ice flowed through the Persona. Within seconds, one of the tall waterfalls pouring into the swirling abyss was completely frozen.

“W-w-w-what are you doing to me?” Kamothreeda stammered. Joker whipped out the grappling hook to the top of the frozen waterfall.

“Giving you perspective.”

He rose up like a demon, dragging Kamothreeda behind him.

**-=TRAINING HALL OF LOVE=-**

“King Kamoshida is going to want all the slaves!” one knight declared. “Even the weak and scrawny can serve as water carriers or cannon fodder! Deactivate all of the torture tools!”

The knights swiftly moved through the dungeon, shutting down the devices. One by one the cognitive Shujin students were dragged from their cells. As soon as they passed through a threshold, they transformed into the metal-helmeted slaves that Kamoshida believed them to be and fell meekly in line.

“Hey…what happened here?” One knight asked.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“The volleyball cannon,” he said, pointing at the device that repeatedly fired volleyballs into a hanging victim. “I didn’t turn it off. Did you?”

“No…maybe it broke because of the fire?”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Meowa-ha-ha-ha! Do you two dopes really have time for this argument?”

Both knights looked up to see Mona and Zorro descending from the ceiling. Both swept their blades deftly across the exposed necks of the knights, evaporating them before they even had a chance to transform. Mona struck a pose while Zorro stood behind him, two barrels under each of his arms.

“What a stylish victory. Too bad Lady Ann wasn’t here to see it…oh well, the plan goes on.”

Mona and Zorro charged through the dungeon.

**-=THE CHAPEL=-**

Nanako had moved down from the upper tower, across the rooftop, and back into the chapel. Any backup soldiers that Kamoshida had up in the tower would have to pass through here if they were going to support the lower levels of the palace. It was a natural choke point, and Nanako’s job was to hold them up here as much as she could.

Alone.

It was the one part of the plan that both Joker and Mona disliked, and there was a lot of deliberation the night before to whether or not they should change it. Nanako insisted though that with her changing Personas she had enough power and versatility to handle it. Mona still wasn’t sure, but once Nanako explained her ideas to Joker, he had been fully on board.

Now she had to make sure not to let them down.

The doors from the tower slammed open and the shadows charged towards the doors that would lead them towards the study. At that moment, Nanako grabbed two more smoke grenades and hurled them at their feet. The smoke caused them to skid to a halt and transform.

Nanako opened the Compendium. Fool arcana.

“Legion,” Nanako commanded and squeezed a card. A horrifying red glob of melded faces appeared. “Tentarafoo!”

The confusion spell swirled around the Shadows, already confused by the smoke.

“Berith!” Nanako said, flipping through pages and squeezing a different card. Legion dissolved and was replaced by the mounted knight. She crept forward, hiding her body in the smoke while trying to keep Berith visible. She cleared her throat and tried to make her voice sound as low-pitched and manly as possible.

“Traitors! There are traitors against King Kamoshida among us! Kill them!”

The shadows, under the confusion spell, the smoke, and seeing a Berith give them commands, turned on each other and started casting spells and clawing viciously at one another. Nanako released Berith and switched her arcana back to the Fool, keeping Legion at the ready. More would come, and she’d need to use Tentarafoo again.

**-=THE STUDY=-**

Skull and the Captain kicked down another set of doors. They smashed bottles against bookcases.

“Hey! This is King Kamoshida’s very important study!” a Pixie cried. “It has the whole collection of his history, his accomplishments, his musingS, his beliefs, his- nooo!”

Skull crushed the Pixie under his pipe.

“Reading sucks,” Skull muttered. He picked up another bottle and smashed it against another bookcase.

**-=CENTRAL HALL=-**

Panther idly wondered if her resistance to heat would mean if next summer wouldn’t be so hot.

The central hall was fire and smoke. Some shadows had broken the doors and windows, hoping to vent the smoke out and clear the air, but that had only given Panther clearer targets to burn.

But she was running out of mental energy, and things to burn. She had already returned Carmen to her mask and crouched low at the bottom of the stairs, hiding in the darkness of the smoke. Fortunately, the shadows had stopped their relentless onslaught.

Unfortunately, that probably meant they were planning something.

There was a cry of charging shadows from the west door. Leading the charge were three Silkys, their hands held high as they threw waves of ice at the flames, trying to douse them with the resulting water. Panther leapt up and drew her submachine gun.

“Eat lead!”

_Rattatattatattatattatattatatta!_

It was hard to keep her aim steady, but she didn’t want to cast any more spells. She was reaching her limit there, and if she burned herself out before the others got back then-

A wave of dark purple energy shot out between the bullets and smoke and struck Panther in the dead center of her chest.

Terror seized her.

“Shit…Evil Touch…” she grumbled to herself. She stopped firing, too scared to fight back.

“How dare you inflict the heart of Lady Ann!”

A swirl of green sparkles surrounded Panther, and her artificial fear was gone. She was surrounded in another wave of sparkling green energy and her physical damage was completely healed.

Floating in the chaos ahead of her was an Incubus, who was already readying another blast of the Evil Touch spell. Mona zipped beneath him and leapt up, driving his sword into his leg. Panther took the moment and lashed out with her whip, landing the strike perfectly at the crown of his head.

“Thanks, Mona,” Panther said crouching low. “Is everything set?”

“Of course, Lady Ann. Now we just gotta wait for the idiot to-”

“Peeeeerrrrrsona!”

The east door burst open with Captain Kidd charging through it, splintering the wood. Two shadows were thrown through the door as well, and immediately got up and scrambled away. Captain Kidd faded, leaving only Skull as he ran down the stairs and across the hall, pouring red wine out of a huge jug. When he got to the base of the stairs he dropped the jug and let it lay there on its side, spilling it onto the tile.

“I’m here!” Skull yelled.

“About time!” Mona snapped.

“Shut up! I’ll clear a path!”

Skull continued his run, tearing off his mask. Captain Kidd careened through the portrait of Kamoshida, tearing it to shreds. Mona and Panther climbed in after him, with Panther waiting at the door.

“Six targets…can you get them all?”

“Of course. I’ve been waiting for this! Persona!”

Panther focused on each of the six points she was supposed to hit. Carmen posed behind her, her confidence brimming through Ann’s heart.

“Dance, Carmen! _Maragi!_ ”

Six blasts of fire erupted simultaneously, hitting their targets perfectly. Mona pulled on her hand as soon as he confirmed that she’d hit the shots, dragging her towards the elevator. Skull was already there, pulling cans of cold brew coffee out of a bag and setting them on the floor. Mona and Panther crashed into the elevator and Skull hit the lever.

“Drink up, Lady Ann. We need your mental energy restored.”

She nodded and started popping tabs.

The explosion came next.

**-=THE ROOF=-**

From their vantage point on the roof, Joker and Kamothreeda saw smoke erupt from the front of the castle, along with shattered glass and several dying shadows. The rumble was strong enough to shake the castle foundations.

Kamothreeda had a great view, since he was currently being dangled over the edge of the castle.

“What was that!?”

“Mona took the gunpowder used in the volleyball launcher and brought it up to the central section. He then placed them beside key structural pillars in the Central Hall. Panther lit them on fire, as well as a jug of wine. The gun powder barrels exploded, running the stability of the castle.”

“Wait, wine?” Kamothreeda asked.

“Yes. Skull just spent his time taking all the alcohol from the banquet hall and dousing the study. No doubt the fire has followed the trail all the way to the heart of the castle, where it’s now burning every book Kamoshida has.”

“Those are his histories…”

Joker didn’t mention the sixth target Panther hit - the remaining twenty or so smoke grenades Nanako had bought off the TV. They were all gushing smoke on the bottom floor now, making the resulting explosion and fire look way more damaging than it was.

“Why…” Kamothreeda begged to know.

“Because we’re destroying this palace. It’ll be nothing but rubble, and your master will have nowhere to go.”

“But why show me? Why tell me?”

“So you can tell your master.”

Joker released Kamothreeda. He only tumbled a few feet before Joker unloaded an entire clip into his chest. Kamothreeda melted into a mass of yellow-black goo and stuck to the side of the castle wall. Then it started to slide away, unnaturally fast for what it was.

What remained of Kamothreeda was returning to King Kamoshida. Including the false information.

Joker looked over the edge and saw a stained glass window shatter from inside. He immediately dove over the side and fired his grappling hook.

The arc was perfect. He swung down directly by the broken window at the exact moment Nanako came leaping out of it.

She slipped into his arms and held on tightly as they swung back upwards to the roof. They both landed effortlessly at the top.

“You okay?” Joker asked.

“Yeah, I barely did any fighting. You?”

“Kamothreeda is heading back to his master.”

“What about the others?” Nanako asked.

“Not sure, but the explosion went off down below. At least we know Mona made it.”

“I’m sure Skull did too,” Nanako said, patting his shoulder.

“Yeah. I”m sure too. Come on, let’s go meet up with them.”


	108. 4/27 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember

“Oooh…so shiny…so golden…so satisfying…”

“Mona, get off!” Skull yelled.

The plan had gone smoothly. The chaos on the lower floors was meant to make it look like an attack on the castle itself. This, combined with Joker telling Kamothreeda the goal, was to supposed to make King Kamoshida believe that was their ultimate goal - not the treasure.

When the team reunited at throne room, it was empty, and the doors were wide open.

Now, Mona was getting intimate with the treasure.

“Oohhh…I just wanna nuzzle right here forever…”

“Mona!” Panther yelled.

This did the trick. Mona leapt off the floating golden crown. “I…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to act so lewdly in front of a lady…”

“Why is the crown so big?” Nanako asked.

“I’m not sure…but it’s going to be a problem,” Joker said. “We’ll take it to the elevator. Panther, did you destroy the front doors?”

“Oh yeah, between me and Skull, I don’t think there are any doors left down there…”

“Then we’ll charge through. Everyone stay close together and use your Personas. All we need to do is get the treasure across the threshold,” Joker said. “Everyone grab a corner.”

They did. They charged down the stairs and into the throne room.

“Go, go, go, go, Ka-mo-shi-da!”

The volleyball struck the crown and wrenched it from their hands.

Nanako tumbled to one side, hand sliding to her holster. Her gun was up and aimed before Kamoshida was even done his stupid flip. Joker was on the opposite side in a similar position, while Mona, Panther, and Skull stood in the center, ready to fight, but not quite as battle-ready.

“You dumbass children really thought this would work? All you’ve done is thrown a temper tantrum in my castle and tried to steal what is rightfully mine. You don’t know the blood, sweat, and tears I spent to win this treasure,” Kamoshida said, holding up a crown that was now correctly sized for his head. He held it admiringly in his hand, even while he still wore another crown on his own head.

“I do know what it took,” Nanako said. “It wasn’t easy. And you did work hard, both physically and emotionally. But that doesn’t give you the right to inflict your desires on other people!”

“The treasure was your reward. You don’t get to own all of reality,” Joker added.

“Or use women how you want!” Panther said.

“Or hurt those who threaten you, asshole,” Skull said.

“Temper tantrum, temper tantrum, temper tantrum,” Kamoshida said. He balanced the crown and the volleyball, while another cognitive Ann in a seductive kitty outfit came running out to kiss Kamoshida on the cheek. Panther snarled and cracked her whip on the ground.

“You’re making a tactical mistake,” Joker said.

“No, you are. I see through your plans, kid. You haven’t structurally damaged my castle enough for it to be a threat. You may have made a lot of smoke and fire, but I’ll have that cleaned up in no time. Nothing is going to topple my fortress!”

“I don’t need the castle to fall,” Joker said. “But most of your guards are dead, dying, burned, exhausted, or confused. You have no one to protect you here. And there’s five of us and only one of you.”

“Aha…so you’ve resorted to common violence? Fine with me. I prefer it to all this sneaking around anyway…”

“Uh oh…Joker…” Mona said, drawing his sword. The world started to rumble, and the light dimmed around Kamoshida except for his glowing eyes. The same murky matter that formed shadows started to swirl around him.

“Now…face my full power!”

Kamoshida transformed into a hideous representation of himself. He grew at least ten times larger and loomed above them. He had four arms, each carrying things to satisfying his endless desires. His tongue lolled. His eyes bugged out and drifted maddeningly.

He had a huge head.

A huge red head.

A shadow with a huge red head.

Nanako couldn’t breathe.

She tried to force herself to breathe, but she couldn’t. Her vision was starting to dim.

“I…” she gasped. That was enough to get some air into her, but now that she could feel her lungs, she couldn’t _stop_ breathing. She was hyperventilating, and now she was dizzy from it.

Joker’s grappling hook wrapped around her waist and yanked her from her position as he ran for the door. She was pulled outside of the throne room, rattling her from her stupor for a moment.

“Angel! Angel, focus!” Joker yelled, shaking her by the shoulders.

“Where are my slaves!?” Kamoshida roared. From nooks and crannies of the castle, tiny little figures with metal helmets rushed into the throne room, offering their chains willingly to one of Kamoshida’s greedy hands. Another hand held a great golden goblet, where the cognitive Kitty Ann was lounging, splashing happily in a tub of wine.

_Slaves…control…_

_Something isn’t right!_

_Bro, what’s wrong?_

_My body…I can’t…guys, run!_

_Dude what the hell you doing!?_

_Oh no, Sensei!_

_That guy is somehow controlling him!?_

_This is bad!_

_I’m coming!_

_No, Yosuke, don’t!_

“Nanako!”

Her name brought her back. Joker had his forehead pressed against hers. She was vaguely aware that Skull, Panther, and Mona had fallen back towards the door, firing their guns relentlessly at Kamoshida and the slaves that were trying to chase after them.

“What’s wrong!? Is she okay?” Skull asked.

“I…” Nanako trembled.

“It’s okay. I got you.”Joker looked up at the rest of the team. “New plan. I’ll stay here and protect Nanako.”

“What!? We can’t fight this bastard off without you!” Skull said.

“We don’t need to. We only need the treasure. Mona, he doesn’t know you. Can you get in position to steal the crown off his head?”

Mona grinned proudly. “Ho ho, so we go back to stealing it right from under his nose? You truly are the perfect leader. Leave that to me.”

“What about us?” Skull asked.

“You two have some things to work out with Kamoshida, don’t you?” Joker asked. Skull looked confused and glanced at Panther.

But Panther understood.

“PERSONA!”

Fire leapt with tremendous heat and intensity from Carmen, incinerating the first line of slaves immediately.

“Ahhh. Okay, we’ll kick his ass and grab the treasure! Peerrrrsona!”

Lightning joined the flames. Nanako tried to stand, but her legs gave way and she tumbled back onto the ground. Joker sat behind her, propping her up.

“Hey, Nanako.”

Her name again. The name was a rock she could hold onto. She felt his hand reach around to take hers, and she instinctively grabbed it.

“Nanako. This is like before, right? Something like this happened?”

“Y-…” her voice wouldn’t work.

“Just nod or shake your head.”

She nodded.

“When you were a child, someone stole you and brought you into the Metaverse. You shouldn’t have been here. But someone helped you right?”

“B-b-b-b-big bro…”

“Shh, it’s okay,” Joker whispered. No, wait, not Joker. There was no mask, no gloves.

Ren.

“S-s-sorry…”

“It’s not your fault. It shouldn’t have happened, and I hate that it did. I’m glad you had someone to save you. But it must’ve been frightening.”

“Y-y-yes…”

Yes. It was frightening, Nanako realized. Not because she was in danger, but because…of Yu.

Yu. Her big bro, the perfect savior from her loneliness. The person who could do wrong in her eyes, the type of person she thought she would one day marry.

He had scary monsters coming out of his soul.

Fire monsters, razor blade monsters, dragons…they came from inside him. They came from the rage of this man that had captured him. And Nanako remembered being afraid of Yu and the red head man. She remembered thinking…where was she supposed to go? To one monster, or another? Was big bro just a lie? Was he really this monster-man?

And she remembered the shame of these thoughts. The shame was so strong it had smothered the memories, buried them deep inside of her. She felt the shame sharply now - how dare she think such things of Yu, who had risked so much to save her?

“I was afraid of everything. Even my big bro,” Nanako whispered.

Ren’s arms encircled her. She turned her head and nuzzled into his chest.

“Him, and his friends…these monsters were coming out of them. They were so angry, so desperate, so scared…I remembered thinking that…maybe I was surrounded by monsters. Maybe I was never safe. Maybe it would be better to die. And then I felt so ashamed for thinking that…”

Ren said nothing. He just held her. Nanako was distantly aware of the battle, of Panther and Skull giving it their all against Kamoshida and the slaves.

They were pretty frightening too, if Nanako thought about it. Ryuji had summoned up the memory of the pipe that ruined his life and used it to smash his revenge into Kamoshida’s subconscious. And Ann…her rage was so hot that it melted a sword before she had even summoned her Persona. They were just as monstrous as anything else.

Ann was kind and loyal.

And Ryuji was encouraging and saw the best in everyone.

“Contradictions,” Nanako said. “A Persona is a contradiction…a monster and a hero, all at once. It’s our true selves, but also the mask we wear for the world. Yu was frightening, and comforting all at once. And it’s okay that they both exist in the same person. I…I don’t have to be a monster to fight back. That’s what I was afraid of.”

Ren just held her.

“Help me stand up,” Nanako whispered.

Ren stood up and offered a hand. He helped Nanako to her feet. She looked at the battle ahead of her, and her dizziness returned. She leaned forward, but Ren caught her.

“You can do this,” he said. “Remember what we’re fighting for.”

“Justice,” Nanako said.

“Justice for Suzui. Justice for the volleyball team. Justice for every student he ever had. And to protect the students that will come up after us,” Ren said.

Nanako raised her hand, trying to summon the card. Her arm was shaky until Ren slid his underneath it, steadying it.

“Together,” Ren said. He swept to the other side of her, holding her like they were going to dance, their arms outstretched. Nanako nodded.

Izanagi’s card appeared between their palms.

Their hands pressed together, shattering the card.

Izanagi appeared behind her. The presence of her big bro’s Persona filled Nanako with a new confidence. She felt steady again.

“Thank you, Ren,” she said. He grinned, already back in his mask.

“Let’s help our friends,” he said, offering his hand. Nanako slipped her hand into his…

…Then a little further, her fingers working quickly on his wrist.

“Yoink,” she said. Before Joker could respond, Nanako attached the grappling hook around her own wrist.

“Hey, I need that-”

“Then you should’ve made me one!”

Nanako latched to the center chandelier above Kamoshida’s head. She had seen Joker swing a hundred times before and had been mesmerized by his grace and fluidity - enough that her cognition on how to do it should be strong enough. She zipped through the air, sailing over the crown.

“Izanagi!”

Izanagi slashed the crown towards Mona, who was waiting on the balcony.

“Hey, this is my part of the plan!” He complained. Zorro appeared and caught the flying crown.

“No! That’s mine! I earned it, fair and square! You can’t take that away from me!” Kamoshida screeched. “I’ll crush you where you stand, you little shits!”

“Arsene!”

The demonic gentleman rushed forward, raking his claws across Kamoshida’s belly in an unflinching fury. Panther and Skull fell back, both looking exhausted. Nanako saw the burn marks across Kamoshida. They must have really let him have it.

“Angel, get him from both ends!” Mona yelled.

“Right! Izanagi, dice him up!”

Arsene’s fists drove so deep into Kamoshida’s belly that he vomited a geyser of black shadow goop. Izanagi cut off two of the extra arms, spilling more of the excess shadow goop.

Nanako rushed to the other side, joining her friends. Mona leapt down too, and the five of them stood to confront injured Kamoshida.

“Why…”

Slowly, the demonic Kamoshida melted away, being replaced with the image of kneeling King Kamoshida.


	109. 4/27 - Palace of Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ice.

“Ow, what the hell!” Skull snapped.

The team leapt backward from a sudden wall of fire that erupted from the ground. Panther strode towards the kneeling Kamoshida, Carmen fanning the flames. The fire encircled Panther and Kamoshida.

“You…” Panther growled.

“Heyyy, leave him alone~!”

Kitty Ann jumped from behind Kamoshida, holding her arms out, acting as a human shield for her fallen king. Panther glared at Kitty Ann.

“Is that really what you think of me? Just a little blonde bimbo? A play doll that you can stick your dick in!?”

The fire leapt up an extra foot for a moment, causing King Kamoshida to cower even further.

“King Kamoshida is great! Nobody understands him at all! He deserves a loving partner to walk through the world with him! Doesn’t everyone?”

“He doesn’t! Not anymore! Maybe he did at one time, but he’s lost the right to any happiness!”

The fire tightened around them.

“Why can’t you just give him another chaaaance,” Kitty Ann whined.

“How many chances did he give Shiho?”

Kitty Ann lunged for Panther. Panther’s whip cracked across Kitty Ann’s belly, leaving a long red streak. Kitty Ann collapsed to the ground, whimpering in a ball.

“Kill me,” King Kamoshida said. “When you lose, you lose everything. You win. You have the right to do what you want.”

“Don’t tempt me!”

All of the fire in the room rose into the air and gathered above Ann. The flames braided into a tight whip of white-hot fire. It writhed above her like a living thing, ready to consume Kamoshida and Kitty Ann.

“…Why can’t I do it?” Ann said, her voice breaking. “I…I want to…but…”

The flame whip cracked against the ground, melting a line into the marble tile.

“Why can’t I even kill this disgusting cognition!” Ann yelled at Kitty Ann.

“She’s you, too,” Nanako said. While Ann had the fire gathered, Nanako had slowly walked closer to her friend. “Or at least, you can see part of you in her.”

“You corrupted my hate, Nanako,” Ann said. “You told me that stupid story about Kamoshida’s past…his pain, his failures…and now I can’t hate him anymore. I just pity him.”

“And what about her?” Nanako asked, pointing at Kitty Ann.

“I…”

“This is Kamoshida’s cognition of you. His belief of who you are. And look. She’s protecting Kamoshida. She’s showing empathy and kindness, even though it’s twisted into the wrong person. Those things about you are so strong that even Kamoshida sees them. And that’s why you can’t destroy her.”

“Ugh!” Panther turned and stomped away, her mask reappearing. “I want him to burn.”

“Revenge isn’t justice,” Nanako said quietly.

Ann turned around and stared down Kamoshida.

“When you think about what you’ve done, I want you to remember for the rest of your life the pain you caused me and Shiho. Suffer for it every single day.”

“I…I will…I’ll return to my real self…and face what I’ve done.”

Kitty Ann and Kamoshida both faded into nothingness.

“What…what happened?” Skull asked.

“We did it,” Mona said. “We defeated Kamoshida without killing him. Once the treasure is out, his desires will be gone, but he won’t have a mental shutdown.”

The ground shifted beneath them.

“Is that the castle falling?” Panther asked.

“No, we didn’t do enough damage,” Joker said. “The palace is collapsing, right?”

“Yup,” Mona said in the middle of cleaning his paw. “We should get out of here.”

They ran for the stairs. The palace shook again, this time stairs falling apart as they were rushing down them.

“Oh shit, this is bad!” Skull yelled. “Come on leg, keep it going…”

“Elevator!” Joker called out. The team leapt down the next stairwell and into the tower floor where the elevator was located. They pushed their way onto it, trying to work the mechanism.

“It’s broken!” Panther cried.

“Then everyone hold on,” Nanako said. “Izanagi!”

Izanagi cut the support cable on the elevator.

They shot down at a frightening rate and they were definitely rattled by the time it came to a crashing halt. Joker, Mona, and Panther cast healing spells all around, getting themselves back to their feet. While they did so, Nanako smelled smoke.

“Uh oh…looks like our inferno was a little too good,” Nanako said. At the end of the hallway the central hall had turned into a furnace. The floor had turned into hot coals, the smoke was thick and dark, and Nanako could feel the heat from here.

The palace shook again. Bricks and timber fell all around them, forcing them to leap ahead of the elevator and into the hallway.

“This is crazy! We’re gonna die!” Skull yelled.

“I have an idea,” Nanako said, flipping through the Compendium. “But it’s kinda stupid.”

“It’s all we have,” Joker said. “I’ll follow your lead.”

“Everyone get real close together and run with me. Try not to panic!”

They did. They ran straight for the central hall, even as the world was collapsing behind them.

“Get ready to jump!” Nanako ordered. She summoned up a card. “Forneus!”

“Silky!” Joker added.

“ _Bufu!_ ” they both said at once.

They leapt through the hole just as both Personas encased the team in ice. A solid lump of ice landed on the ground and skid forward towards the door, melting the whole way. By the time they got to the door, it was a steaming, sloshy mess.

They pushed through the front entrance and into the white void ahead of them.


	110. 4/27 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yawn.

“I can’t believe…that ice thing…worked…” Ryuji gasped.

“Neither can I…” Nanako said.

“What!? But it was your idea!”

“Just a hunch, really,” Nanako admitted. Ryuji made a hilarious shocked face that had the rest of the team laughing in the tiny alley in front of the school.

“What about the treasure? Do we still have it?” Ann asked.

Ren pulled out a shining lump of gold from his pocket.

“A gold medal…the source of his cognition. Should’ve known,” Morgana said.

“Hang on, is that really his medal?” Ryuji asked.

“No, it’s just a copy. The real medal is still in his possession..but the gold looks real enough. We should sell it,” Morgana said.

Nanako removed her big bro’s glasses from her face and yawned.

“I’m really wiped out…”

“Me too,” Ann said. “When will the change of heart happen?”

“We’ll just have to wait,” Morgana said. “I’m sorry, Lady Ann. I don’t know.”

“It’ll be fine,” Ren said. “He’ll change, and he won’t have a shut down. I’m sure of it.”

Everyone yawned and trudged off to the train station.


	111. 4/28 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chie does paperwork.

Chie had this bad habit from school of twirling her hair with her left hand.

She would just find a piece of it dangling by her ear and twist it mindlessly while she worked at whatever inane assignment the teacher had confronted her with. When she was in elementary school, she tangled it so badly that her mom had to cut it - which is what had inspired her short hair cut to begin with. In middle and high school she worked hard to try and break that habit, because every once in a while she would accidentally break off a piece of the hair, leaving everything uneven and awkward.

But there she was, 26 years old, sitting at her officer’s desk, twirling her hair while she went over more pointless data from the mental shutdown cases.

“Hey, Satonaka,” a voice called. Chie had been staring blankly at the desk for a while, her concentration having finally fizzled out, so the voice startled her. Chie snapped to her feet, snapped to attention, and snapped herself around. Akihiko stood there, looking every bit as refined and gorgeous as he always did. He wore a cream colored suit, red shirt, and black tie, and still had an aura of authority around him.

“Lieutenant Sanada, sorry sir, I was…concentrating,” Chie said, trying not to blush.

“At ease, officer, this isn’t the military. Can I talk to you in my office a moment?”

“Oh, uh, sure, right away.”

He led her through the cubicles and over to an office. It had a big window that overlooked the central section of the law administration buildings and had a clear view over to the prosecutor’s office. He sat down and offered her a seat across from him, which she took.

“Listen, I know technically I’m not in command of you since you’re on that special assignment, but I’m hoping you can do me a favor,” Akihiko said.

“Yes, sure, of course, no problem!” Chie said, beaming. Maybe she should try and take the eagerness down a notch…

“Well, don’t jump in before you know what it is…I found this report from the 16th. You wrote it, right? The intake report for the incident at Shujin Academy?”

Chie frowned, confused. “Uh, yeah, that was me.”

“And you did the follow up interviews on the 22nd?” he asked, holding up another report.

“Oh, yes, that’s true, I did that too…is there something wrong with them?”

“Oh no, nothing at all. The thing is, something happened this morning at Shujin Academy. One of the teachers there entered a school assembly and began confessing crimes to the entire student body,” Akihiko explained.

“You mean…Kamoshida?”

“That’s right. How’d you know?”

Chie hesitated. “I uh…well, the clues sorta pointed me in that direction. And uh, Detective Shirogane was with me, and she had some suspicions…”

“Mm, good. Well, in any case, I was asked to go do his follow up interview, but I’m tied up with other things. Since you were already familiar with the background of the case and you’ve met the subject before, would you mind doing it for me?”

“Ah, are you sure you want me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Akihiko asked.

“I’m just an officer, that’s all.”

“You’re just an officer _for now_. But I think you’re going to surprise a lot of people, eventually, Satonaka. So, will you do this favor for me? I’ll owe you one.”

“Yes, of course I will. But won’t your superiors get mad?”

“They…might. But what I’m working on is important.”

“Is it something I can know?” Chie asked.

“Why?”

“Curious, I guess,” Chie said. She actually wasn’t sure why, herself. Was she just being nosy? Did she just want to talk to Akihiko some more?

“Well…I suppose you should know since you’re the one doing the favor. But you have to keep it to yourself,” he said.

“Your secret’s safe with me.”

“I’m going after Kaneshiro.”

This surprised Chie in one sense, but didn’t surprise her in another. Of course Akihiko would go after Kaneshiro, he was one of the slipperiest criminals in Shibuya. It didn’t surprise her that he would be willing to take the challenge. But it was surprising to hear because so many had tried before and failed. He was starting to become one of those criminal fixtures - a person who would always be there, could never be removed and never replaced. When he retired or died, he would be one of those criminals that left a dangerous power vacuum.

“Well, if anyone can do it, it’s you,” Chie said.

“I appreciate the confidence. But it’s very important you don’t tell anyone. I’m not officially on the case.”

“Huh? You’re not? Then why are you doing it?”

“Because I think Kaneshiro has police contacts. It’s the only thing that makes sense, why else would he be one step ahead all the time? But I have no idea how high those contacts go. So even asking the chief or the commissioner might be a tip off for Kaneshiro. I have to do it alone, without anyone else knowing what I’m doing.”

“But…you’re telling me,” Chie pointed out.

“Yeah, I am. And that’s dumb. But if he finds out, I’ll know it was because of you, because you’re the only one I’ve told,” he said, smiling. “Sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have put that much pressure on you. I guess I just had to tell someone.”

“I can handle the pressure. And Kamoshida.”

“Thanks, Satonaka.”

“Um…do you mind if…”

“I’m sure Shirogane is already on her way to the interrogation room. There isn’t really stopping her if she wants something.”

“That’s very true, “Chie said.


	112. 4/28 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako goes to the roof.

The four students and cat stood on the roof, staring at each other.

“We…we did it…” Nanako said, astonished.

“Did you see that? That was insane,” Ryuji said. “I mean he just…confessed to everything…he practically ran to get into the police car…”

“Your guidance was perfect, Morgana,” Ren said. “We owe you a lot.”

“Aww…well, I had some pretty good students,” Morgana said.

“Kawakami even told us that the talk of us being expelled is being thrown out completely,” Ryuji said, grinning broadly. “Gave that bastard justice and saved ourselves by the skin of our teeth!”

Ann took a step away from the group. Everyone stopped to watch her as she slowly walked to the edge of the roof, right against the fence. She stood right where Shiho had climbed to do her fateful jump.

Ann bent over in on herself, looking as if she might cry. Nanako took a step to comfort her, but then suddenly Ann released herself from the ball, jumping high in the air and pumping her fist.

“We did it, Shiho!” she yelled as loudly as she could. When she turned around, Ann had a huge smile on her face, but tears streaming down her cheeks. “We really did it!”

“We couldn’t have done it without you,” Nanako said.

“None of this was possible without all of us,” Ren corrected.

“Then let’s celebrate, yeah?” Ryuji declared. “I looked up that gold medal online last night, it’s worth 30,000 yen!”

“Hey, don’t you owe me money from middle school….” Ann said.

“Shut up, I do not. And if I do, it’s definitely not 30,000 yen’s worth.”

“We could split it up evenly 5 ways,” Nanako pointed out.

“Orrrr, we can blow it all on food! It’s dirty money anyway, right?” Ryuji said.

“Discussions amongst phantom thieves _must_ be done with luxurious food,” Morgana added.

“Well, if we’re going to eat, I guess I’m okay with that…but I want to pick the place,” Ann said.

“Fine by me, just as long as its good and has meat,” Ryuji said.

“You okay with this?” Nanako asked Ren.

“I want sushi,” he said.

“Yes! Sushi! Salmon roe…” Morgana said, practically drooling.

“All right! Well, this is the perfect time for it. Let’s go tomorrow! It’s Golden Week, after all, we have all this time off.”

“…I’m actually going home. To Inaba.” Nanako said.

Everyone turned to stare at her, wide-eyed.

“Not forever! Just to visit! My parents planned for me to go back during Golden Week even before I got here. I’ll be back the evening before the last day, though. Can we do it then?”

“Children’s Day, huh? All right, it’s a plan,” Ryuji said.

“Leave it to us to sell the medal,” Morgana said. “We have the perfect place for it.”

Ryuji handed Ren the medal.

“Okay, I’m gonna go tell Shiho everything. I’ll talk to you guys later,” Ann said. “Thank you all for everything…”

She stopped, gave a very formal bow, then rushed out the door.

“I’m wiped out. I’m heading home too. Thanks guys.”

Ren and Nanako were alone on the roof.

“I-“

“He-”

They both laughed.

“Go ahead,” Ren said.

“No, you can go first,” Nanako said.

“Well, I was just going to say-”

 _Pi pi pi_. Ren’s phone. He frowned and fished it out of his pocket, then widened his eyes. Morgana poked out of his spot on the bag and perched on his shoulder.

“Hey, you didn’t forget that was today, did you?” he asked.

“Crap,” Ren mumbled. “She’s gonna kill me. Literally this time. Sorry Nanako, I gotta go.”

He turned and rushed off the roof.

Nanako waited a moment. She walked over to the flower beds and checked the plants. She walked to the edge of the roof and looked out at the world below.

She felt…unsettled, somehow.

She thought she would feel accomplished once it was all over. She had unlocked an amazing power. She made friends. She righted wrongs. Justice was served. And she even managed to confront her own past a bit.

So…why did this just feel like the beginning?

Why did she crave to do it all again?

She reached into her bag and pulled out a yellow scarf. It was the scarf from her old Yasogami High uniform. It was the only part she had left.

When she got home yesterday, Nanako realized that her uniform had taken a major beating in the battle. There was a very large singed hole in her skirt and the top was perforated with dozens of tiny little holes. There was no way it was going to survive another adventure, so she threw it out.

Except for the scarf.

She walked over to the fence, right by where Ann had just stood, where Suzui had jumped.

She tied the scarf to the fence.

Then she went home.


	113. 4/28 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto thinks.

Chie had never done anything stranger in her whole career.

Naoto had described Kamoshida as clever and dangerous the last time they interviewed him. And yet it seemed like a completely different man had shown up in the interrogation room. No easy smiles, no laughs, no aura of ego and charisma. Just bitter remorse.

He cried. A lot. He must have gone through three boxes of tissues and drank a gallon of water to keep himself hydrated. He also went through three defense attorneys in the hours it took to get the questioning done - the first was his personal attorney who became so distraught at Kamoshida’s compulsive confessions that he recused himself from the case. The second was an attorney that the Shujin Academy Principal brought, but he too gave up during the fourth hour of interrogation. The third lawyer was a public defender who had no choice but to sit there and patiently listen to Kamoshida list out crime after crime.

At hour six, Chie told him to stop. He was starting to get into crimes that were past their statute of limitations, and quite honestly, he had confessed enough to be put away for a long while.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Kamoshida-san,” Chie said at the end of it all. “We’ll be taking you to holding until the judge has a chance to review your case.”

“Yes, of course…thank you, Officer Satonaka, for being kind and patient with me.”

Chie didn’t know what to say to that, so she simply nodded, folded her notebook shut, and left the interrogation room. Naoto followed her.

Naoto hadn’t said a word the entire time.

“Gee, thanks for helping me ask some questions in there, I think I’m going to lose my voice over this…” Chie grumbled.

“Not yet,” Naoto said. Chie sighed and resigned herself to being quiet. She followed Naoto to the parking garage, into her fine car, and waited until she pulled into the busy Tokyo traffic.

“Are you taking me for a beef bowl? Because I’m starving and you owe me,” Chie said.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like that before,” Naoto said, ignoring Chie’s complaints. “It’s as if he grew a conscience overnight. Not only does his remorse seem to be genuine, it seems to be unflinchingly so. He spoke with brutal honesty about everything he did, without one attempt to cover up, spin, or polish his actions.”

“I mean, we don’t really know that until we verify the facts,” Chie pointed out.

“True, but I think there’s enough from the incident with Shiho Suzui alone to verify that he’s a changed man. Plus there’s…just something about him that’s different. Something I just…sense.”

“That’s unlike you,” Chie said.

“Is it, though…?”

Chie frowned. She had thought that by now, spending as much time with Naoto as she did, she would learn to follow her thoughts a little better. But the detective was still a constant engima to Chie.

“You think it’s connected, don’t you?” Chie asked. “The mental shutdowns. The psychotic breakdowns. This Kamoshida thing.”

“Stolen heart,” Naoto said.

“A what now?”

“Look in my bag.”

Chie did so. She pulled out a black and red card.

“What is this face supposed to be? A raccoon?”

“Read the back,” Naoto said. Chie did so.

“The Phantom Thieves of Heart? Is this real?”

“It was found at the school yesterday morning. As you can see, it specifically calls out Kamoshida. And then a day later…well, you saw him.”

Chie put the calling card back in Naoto’s attache case. “So what is this? Blackmail?”

“Possible,” Naoto said.

Chie took a deep breath. She had thought about this for a while, and she pretty much knew where Naoto was going with this. But for some reason, it frightened Chie. She didn’t want to admit it. Or perhaps, she didn’t want Naoto to admit it - because if that’s what _she_ believed, then it was more than likely true.

“You think this is all connected to the Midnight Channel,” Chie said.

“There are similarities, you have to admit,” Naoto said. “People died in Inaba from being placed in that world. And now we have a mysterious set of people who have breakdowns or shutdowns. Each victim is unconnected to each other, the circumstances are never the same. There’s nothing linking them medically, socially, even geographically. And yet, when you look at the big picture, there’s definitely a pattern emerging of who benefits from these events.”

“But we looked for the Midnight Channel,” Chie said. “Two years ago. We all did. Here, Tokyo, and even in the US where Rise was. No matter how many times we try and find it again, it’s just gone. It’s been gone for ten years.”

“And Teddie’s been gone for two,” Naoto pointed out.

“You still think he can activate it? And that’s why he’s been missing?”

“I wish I knew. I hate these loose conjectures. They’re nothing but logical theories.”

Chie looked out the window and watched as they crawled through traffic.

“The calling card is new,” Chie said.

“Yes. I don’t think these Phantom Thieves are the same as whoever is causing the other issues. But I think they use the same methods. And I think it has to do with the Midnight Channel.”

“So what do we do from here? Do we keep trying to find whoever’s behind the shutdowns? Or do we find these Phantom Thieves?”

“I don’t know…” Naoto said. “I need to have a meeting. Then I think we’ll have a better idea. But for now, let’s get beef bowls.”

“Wait, seriously!? Don’t joke about this, Naoto-kun! I’ll eat your hat if you try to fake me out!”

Naoto cracked a smile.

“Don’t worry, Lady Carnivore. You’ll get your fill.”


	114. 4/28 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako makes a phone call.

“Are you all packed up?” Rise asked, poking her head through the door.

“Yeah, pretty much. Just need clothes, really,” Nanako said.

“I’m sorry you’re going back already! I just got here, I wanted to take you all through Tokyo!”

“There’ll be lots of time when I get back,” Nanako said. “I think my dad really wants me home, though.”

“Yeah, I get it. Dads are like that,” Rise said with a wink. “Well come eat whenever you’re ready.”

“I will, thanks.”

Rise disappeared. Nanako pulled out her phone.

 **NANAKO:** Hey, did you make it to…wherever you were going?   
**REN:** Yes. And somehow I survived, too.   
**REN:** Don’t ask.   
**NANAKO:** If you insist.  
 **NANAKO:** Hey, is there anything you want me to do for you when I’m Inaba?  
 **NANAKO:** Say hi to someone?  
 **NANAKO:** Buy some Marukyu Tofu?   
**REN:** No, thanks. I’m fine.

Nanako frowned and looked at the response. Was he fine? Or was he jealous of her ability to go back to Inaba whenever she wanted?

 **NANAKO:** I’m sorry I’m leaving you here.   
**REN:** Really’s okay.  
 **REN:** Let’s be honest, Sojiro is going to make me work most of the break anyway. I’ll have lots to do.   
**REN:** Ryuji and Mona will keep me sane.

Nanako dialed. Ren laughed.

“Why are you calling me?”

“I just had a question,” Nanako said. “How are you feeling about…you know, all of it.”

“Accomplished. Why?”

“I dunno. I feel…unsettled.”

“Ah. Yeah, I do too.”

“Why?”

“Why do we feel unsettled?” Ren asked. “Was that rhetorical or do you want to hear my guess?”

“Tell me,” Nanako said.

“We want more. We like the thrill of it. We like the justice of it. It was like Okura’s phone back in Inaba, except times a thousand.”

“Yes. Yes, that’s exactly it,” Nanako said, satisfied that he’d been able to put into words what she couldn’t. “But we can’t keep living like that. Eventually we’ll get caught. Or killed. Chasing the next high is never the way to live life.”

“But pursuing a goal is,” Ren said. “What’s honestly wrong with what we did? And what would be wrong about doing it again?”

“You mean, find someone else’s heart to change?”

“There’s plenty of corrupt people in the world.”

“I suppose…what about the others?”

“They can do what they want,” Ren said. “But I’m going to keep going. Besides, I made a deal with Mona, I can’t back out on him now.”

“Oh, so blame Mona now,” Nanako said with a smile.

“Nanako. Come with me.”

Nanako felt her cheeks flush and her heart pound

“Yes. Of course.”

“Thanks,” Ren said. Nanako could hear the smile in his voice. “I better go.”

“Yeah, me too. Good night.”

“Have a safe trip,” Ren said.

They hung up.

Nanako sighed and went to eat dinner.

=====

 **SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
** The Lovers: Ren Amamiya   
Level 3


	115. END PART 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Research Log.

**SUPPLEMENTAL RESEARCH JOURNAL 0127  
** **DR. WAKABA ISHIKI**   
**CLASSIFIED CLEARANCE REQUIRED**

**ENTRY:** January 7, 2019

It has been nearly a month since we acquired Subject B, and it is both wonderful and terrible. Wonderful, because the insights Subject B has given me has completely turned my research on its head. Terrible, because the insights Subject B has given me has completely turned my research on its head!

Everything I’ve uncovered about Psiberspace seems to be the shallows of a much deeper pool of potential. Even the most casual reference Subject B makes has revealed complexities I would not have even considered before. Though Subject B’s manner of speaking is somewhat roundabout and overtly emotional, I find myself becoming more used to it as the days wear on. It is certainly clear that the more of it I can tolerate, the more information I can garner.

Subject B’s understanding of Psiberspace seems to be entirely innate. It’s as if he was born with it, and that the facts about its function and purpose are common sense. Deliberate questioning seems to only confuse Subject B, because he is not accessing information as if it was acquired or trained into him - he reveals things as stray thoughts that he has. It seems to be the best way to get information from Subject B is to let him tell stories.

My overseer is unhappy with this, as he feels that Subject B is inane and wasting my time. This only makes me like Subject B more, since it has resulted in my overseer spending a lot more time _elsewhere_.

I wish he’d just give up altogether and let me do my work.

In any case, in the short amount of time I’ve had with Subject B, I’ve developed a new theory on how Psiberspace might be used by theoretical psientists. In all of my previous models of entering the subconscious world of another being, it was through transferring the consciousness, whether through electrical means or by some other metaphysical method I have not yet discovered. However, Subject B has told multiple stories of human beings entering into Psiberspace with _their actual bodies_.

I never once considered this. After all, why would physical matter be able to interact with a world that is neither dream nor reality? Surely a universe constructed from the mind must only be entered by the mind. And yet, Subject B is insistent that he and his compatriots were able to enter their entire physical forms into Psiberspace.

Subject B has also insisted that this is related to the 2011 serial killings in the small town of Inaba. I have another researcher working on gathering that information.

I have begun creating new models on how the physical body might enter the mind of another being. Most are still in their earliest phases, but I am confident that with enough time, and with the help of Subject B, I will be able to solve this puzzle.

**END LOG**

**Addendum 1:** One hour after completing the previous log, it occurred to me that Subject B’s explanation of physical bodies entering Psiberspace might explain the strange contradictions I read in the data taken from the Kirijo Group - in particular the piecemeal data we’ve gathered from a 2009 incident that has been codenamed TARTARUS.

I really need that data. I know how to get it, but…if I cross that line…

 **Addendum 2:** Subject B once made mention of a little girl that he was close friends with, which spurred me into bringing Futaba to meet Subject B. They get along well, much to my surprise. In our discussions, Futaba declared that Psiberspace sounded too much like Cyberspace, and that if I didn’t want to spend my whole life explaining the spelling, I should pick another name. She suggested “Metaverse.”

It does have a certain ring to it…

**END LOG**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for reading along so far!
> 
> Btw, if you like my stuff I do MORE stuff, like write books and do a podcast. Check it out at silzeromedia.com


	116. 4/29 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Train.

Nanako rolled her luggage in one hand and balanced her purse on her arm while trying to navigate the Tokyo foot traffic. She dodged in and out of people rushing to catch the fuller-than-usual commuter trains. There were lots of families, Nanako noticed, probably all heading out for Golden Week vacations.

 _Pi pi pi_.

She knew it was a bad idea, but she grabbed her phone and tried to read messages while she walked.

 **RYUJI** : Did you see the news? Kamoshida is all over it! They even mentioned the Phantom Thieves. How cool is that!?   
**NANAKO:** They actually mentioned it? Did they show your terrible picture?   
**RYUJI:** Har har.  
 **REN:** I thought it was funny.  
 **RYUJI:** Come on man, don’t always take her side!   
**RYUJI:** Anyway, we’re famous! Man, if the girls could only see me now…  
 **REN:** Morgana wants to remind you not to tell anyone your identity.  
 **RYUJI:** I’m not that dumb!

Nanako laughed, then stopped looking at her phone long enough to find her platform and give the attendant her ticket. She slid herself onto the train and plopped into one of the boothsat the side where four seats were situated to face each other. She set her luggage on the seat next to her and went back to her phone.

 **ANN:** We probably gave people courage, huh?   
**RYUJI:** Eh? Why do you say that?   
**ANN:** I saw the same news program, and the students said they were too scared to do anything about Kamoshida…and there was that one girl who said she was happy she could go to school without being worried about getting harassed.   
**REN:** We changed a lot of lives.  
 **NANAKO:** Hey, my train is about to depart. I’ll text you guys when I get there!   
**RYUJI:** Oh right, I forgot you were leaving.  
 **ANN:** Have fun!

“Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?”

Nanako looked up. Standing in front of her was a boy about her age. He had brown hair that fell beautifully around his face and to the base of his neck. He wore a blue patterned sweater vest, khaki pants, and was holding a metal briefcase in one hand and a large backpack in the other.

He was pretty cute, if Nanako was being honest.

“I’m sorry if I’m intruding. I just prefer to sit next to the window. I can get a little queasy on a train.”

“Please, go right ahead,” Nanako said, gesturing to the open seats across from her.

“Thank you,” he said with a stunning smile. He set his briefcase and backpack down. “Do you mind me asking where you’re headed?”

“Inaba,” Nanako said. “Yourself?”

“Okina City…Inaba is a bit of a small town, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s my hometown. I’m going home for a few days for Golden Week to visit my parents.”

“Ah, that sounds lovely. Does that mean you’re a university student?”

Nanako laughed. And blushed. Why was she blushing? That was stupid. But did he really think she looked like an older university student?

“No, just high school. I go to Shujin Academy,” Nanako said.

“Oh! Well I hope you’re not heading home for any negative reasons…”

“No? Why would you say that?”

“My apologies, I jumped to conclusions. It’s just that I saw the news this morning about the PE teacher…Kamoshida, was it?”

“Oh, yeah, that. I’m new, so I didn’t have any contact with him.”

“I’m glad to hear it. I’m sure your family will be, too,” the boy said.

“I’m Nanako, by the way. Nanako Dojima.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Dojima-san. My name is Akechi.”

The conductor announced that the train was departing. Nanako and Akechi lurched, then settled back into their seats as the train picked up speed for its journey to the countryside.

“Are you going to visit family as well, Akechi-kun?”

“No, no, nothing like that, unfortunately. I’m actually on my way to do a bit of research for my job.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you were also a high school student,” Nanako said. “Though I’m not sure why I assumed that…”

Akechi laughed. “No, no, you were correct in that deduction. I am a high school student, but I also work part time as…well, you may find this a little hard to believe, but I’m actually a detective.”

The word detective unlocked something in Nanako’s subconscious.

It was that same feeling, the one that Naoto kept hinting at. That “Dojima Talent” or “Detective’s Intuition” or whatever she wanted to call it. Something about this situation was suddenly putting Nanako on guard.

But why?

Because it was too coincidental for a detective to be sitting across from her when she had just committed a crime?

Or was that just paranoia and guilt talking?

She didn’t have time to be analyzing her own feelings, so instead she focused on the facts.

“Akechi…oh, you’re _that_ Akechi! I’ve seen you on TV,” Nanako said, legitimately excited.

“Haha, I guess I couldn’t hide it for long, could I? I suppose I should’ve lied about my job…but lying doesn’t sit very well with me.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make such a big deal out of it,” Nanako said. “I can be very un-impressed, if you prefer.”

“I would prefer that you just do what makes you comfortable,” Akechi said.

“Even if it meant I turned into a raving fangirl?”

“If you must,” Akechi said with a slight sigh. Nanako laughed.

“Don’t worry, Detective Prince. It’s not like-”

She stopped herself.

She was about to say ‘it’s not like she hadn’t met a Detective Prince before.’ But something was warning her not to.

“It’s not like you’re actual royalty,” Nanako finished. Akechi laughed.

“It’s nice to be able to talk to someone my own age in a regular fashion. Or at least, I think this is a regular fashion. I’ve had somewhat of an irregular life.”

“You must like it, though,” Nanako pointed out. “Otherwise you wouldn’t keep doing it, would you?”

“Mm, I suppose there’s some truth to that. Though to be candid, I started doing this somewhat out of necessity. My mother died a long time ago, and I’ve never known my father. I’ve lived in and out of foster homes for most of my life. So society doesn’t expect much out of me, unless I can prove my worth. I just happen to enjoy solving puzzles, and crimes are the ultimate puzzle.”

Akechi suddenly looked stricken.

“Not to say that I think of it as a game! I care very much about those who are victimized and bringing the criminals to justice! I just…what I meant was…”

“I understand,” Nanako said. “My dad has said similar things, too.”

Nanako realized what she just tipped off and mentally kicked herself. But it was too late to un-say it. She instead looked out the window.

“Your father is a detective?” he asked.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Inaba police. Though he doesn’t do important cases like you do. His are small. Stolen moped. Graffiti on the school. That sort of stuff,” Nanako said.

“I’m sure you’re just being modest. Perhaps I should interview him. He might be able to teach me a great deal,” Akechi said.

“No way,” Nanako said with a laugh. “Nothing against you, Akechi-kun. I just know my dad and he’d never go for that.”

“Not even if you put in a good word?” Akechi said, turning on his charm. He didn’t have the same mega-watt charm that Rise had, but there was a subtle aura about him that made him just _that_ much more likable.

“Not even then, I’m afraid,” Nanako said. “Are you on your way to interview a detective now?”

“Ah, indeed I am. That was a good deduction. Perhaps you inherited some of your father’s skill. Or is your mother the perceptive one?”

“You know, I’m not sure. My mother died when I was really young.”

“Oh. My apologies and condolences,” he said.

“It’s fine, as I said, it was a long time ago. My dad is remarried, I have a new mom now. I’m doing just fine.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Akechi said.

The conversation paused as another announcement came over the train speaker. It gave Nanako a moment to think.

Maybe she was overthinking Akechi. Why would he be pursuing her? The case had just broken yesterday. Even if anyone took those calling cards seriously - and she wasn’t sure anyone would, given their quality - how would anyone ever figure out what they did? The Metaverse, Personas, shadows, stealing hearts…no detective could ever put all that together.

“Say, Akechi,” Nanako said. “Do you suppose you could…teach me?”

“Teach you? You mean, how to be a detective?”

“Ah, well, maybe not to that degree. I know you must be very busy. But what I mean is, maybe just how to be a bit more perceptive or a bit more clever?”

“I tend to think you’re being a bit modest right now. I doubt you need my help.”

“Ah, well…maybe you’re right. I don’t need help with that. I was just awkwardly trying to find a way to be your friend.”

“My friend?” Akechi looked genuinely shocked. “…But why?”

Nanako looked confused. “Because…?”

“Huh. You genuinely have no ulterior motive, do you? You’re just a nice person. That’s rarer than you might think, these days.”

“Sorry, am I being too forward?”

“Not at all. I’m afraid I might not have understood your intentions if you weren’t. Very well, Dojima-san, you are now my friend.”

They laughed and chatted the rest of the trip to Okina City.

=====

SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
The Jester: Akechi  
Level 1


	117. 4/29 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunch

Nanako thought it was strange how similar but different Inaba was.

She’d only been gone a month. It wasn’t as if anything drastic had really happened. Mom had moved the table over a little in the living room now that Nanako didn’t need to spread her books out so much, but that was about it. The streets, the smells, the sounds, everything was as she had always known it.

And yet it felt different, somehow.

It was slower, that much she knew. It was both odd and reassuring. She was surprised she had gotten used to the speed of Tokyo so quickly and how noticeable the slow pace of Inaba was. But it wasn’t the same as some people she’d heard from the city describe it - like when Yosuke first moved to Inaba and he thought he had been exiled to the furthest reaches of civilization. It was more like that she could appreciate the slowness of Inaba whereas before it was the only thing she had ever known.

Her world had expanded, she realized, and she had a different perspective because of it. Inaba had been “reality” for so long, and now it was just a version of how a person could live.

A change in cognition.

What hadn’t changed was that mom was still the best cook she knew, and she sat comfortably with her at the table eating their lunch and watching TV. Mom hadn’t bombarded Nanako with a ton of questions just yet, though Nanako could tell she was dying to ask some. Maybe she’d open up first and start talking. It would probably help prevent her from saying something she shouldn’t, too.

Before they finished eating, though, the front door burst open.

“Dad!” Nanako shot up to her feet. He didn’t rush to hug her though, instead reaching down for the TV remote and switching the channel to a news station.

“ _Investigators are looking into a long list of possible crimes committed by Kamoshida over his career in education at Shujin Academy. Investigators are also reaching out to any alumni of the school who may have been a victim or known of victims, as they work to corroborate the long and detailed confession Kamoshida-san gave last night._ ”

“That’s your school, isn’t it?” Dad said. “That’s the same volleyball coach that you were going to join, right? The one that you said wasn’t a good fit?”

“Yes,” Nanako said.

“Is…that why it wasn’t a good fit?”

“No! No, nothing happened at all, Dad, I promise!” Nanako said. She watched as the terror and rage that was lurking at the back of his eyes turn to relief.

“You’re sure? Because if it did, nothing was your fault. It would be that bastard who would have to pay for it.”

“I quit before anything happened,” Nanako said. “Though I think he was grooming me. He tried really hard to get me to come back. But I’m not _that_ good at volleyball. And honestly, I just had an off feeling about him. You always told me to trust those sorts of feelings, so I did.”

Dad took a deep breath. Nanako knew that if she added something about dad’s training saving her that he’d relax a little.

“Right…good. I’m proud of you, Nanako, you did the right thing. And I’m sorry for rushing in like this.”

“It’s all right,” Nanako said, and meant it. He did it because he loved her so much - how could she get angry about that? She walked over and hugged him tight.

“Ah, I missed you,” Dad said.

“I missed you too.”

“Ahem. Dear. Your shoes?” Mom said.

“Right, sorry. Let me do this properly. Is there any lunch left?”

“Lots,” Nanako said. “Mom went all out.”

“I didn’t know what Nanako would want to eat so I made a little of everything,” Mom said with a blush.

They sat down to eat a family meal.

  



	118. 4/29 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heartbreak, heartbreak.

“You ought to be careful coming in here so often. You’re too handsome. You might get drawn into a different world,” Lala-chan said, leaning on the edge of her bar. Yu sipped his beer.

“You mean the world of cross-dressing? I did that once.”

“You did? Do tell.”

“It was for a high school cross-dressing beauty pageant…I’m not sure the intentions were all good, but me and my friends gave it our all.”

“Did you win?”

“No,” Yu said with a sigh. “But I was very hot…”

“Well if you ever want to give it another go, you just let me know, honey.”

Both Lala-chan and Yu looked up at the door as the tiny bell rang.

“Well, well. Here comes trouble,” Lala-chan whispered.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Yu said. “You mind if we use the booth?”

“Be my guest. But be careful with her, she looks dangerous.”

“Again, you don’t know the half of it,” Yu said with a grin. He picked up his drink as well as the martini and stood up, motioning to the booth in the corner. He sat down and set the drinks on the table.

Naoto sat down across from him.

“This is an interesting place…” Naoto remarked.

“I like it,” Yu said with a shrug. “You’ll have to tell me how their martinis are.”

“No thank you,” Naoto said.

“You look like you could use a drink, Naoto,” Yu said, pushing the martini just a tiny bit closer. “It’s the way you like it.”

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Don’t…try to take care of me.” Naoto said, folding her arms and looking to the side.

“You’re my friend,” Yu said.

“It’s more complicated than that and you know it.”

Yu wanted to sigh, but didn’t. Instead he took a sip of his beer and took a moment to collect his thoughts.

“If you were going to be so combative, why did you agree to meet me here?”

“Because this is important. I thought I could just….put it all away and be professional. But if you’re ordering me drinks…”

“That’s professional, in my world.”

“A fair point,” Naoto said. She slowly unfolded her arms and let her emotions settle back down. She took a sip. “Hmm…this is quite good.”

“I’ll give your compliments to Lala-chan,” Yu said.

They both drank in silence for a few moments, trying to let the tension dissolve.

“You read my plan then, if you’re here,” Yu started.

“I did. It’s bold,” Naoto remarked.

“So you like it?”

“I didn’t say that,” Naoto said, allowing a sly grin onto her face as she sipped her martini. “I just said it was bold. All of your plans are. But bold isn’t always the best approach.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Well, for starters, you don’t know if he’s going to agree to it.”

“He already has,” Yu said, cutting her off. Naoto sighed.

“Of course he has.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I just mean that of course he would, you asked him. He would follow you into hell and back, you know that. We all would. But maybe you shouldn’t have asked him yet.”

“Because I didn’t get your permission?”

“It’s not like that,” Naoto glowered.

“It feels like that.”

“Ugh,” Naoto pulled her hat over her eyes. “Maybe this was a mistake. We should’ve kept this to email or text messages. Or Chie.”

“I think Chie is getting tired of being our messenger,” Yu said.

“Rise, then.”

“That seems like a terrible idea,” Yu said.

“…You’re probably right.”

“Naoto. I hate this. Can’t we just…talk this out?”

“We have. Twice.”

“Maybe we need three times.”

“No, thank you.”

“Then how are we supposed to work together? I can’t do this without you. Do you think you can do it without me? Do you want to do it without me?” Yu asked, pouring as much sincerity into his voice as he could. Naoto adjusted her cap and took a drink.

“No. I neither can do it without you, nor do I want to.”

“Then we need to make this work. So let’s talk it out.”

“I’m…embarrassed about talking it out again. It’s been two years. I shouldn’t be so wrapped up in it. But I am,” Naoto admitted.

“I’m sorry.”

“You keep apologizing, but you never needed to. I understand why you did it.”

“Do you? I think maybe you don’t. I think that’s why you’re so charged up about it,” Yu said.

“Then why did you do it?” Naoto asked, her voice breaking as tears ringed in her eyes. “We were going to _get married_ , Yu.”

“I know,” Yu said, his own voice breaking. “But we wouldn’t have been happy.”

“Why not? Did you stop loving me?”

“You stopped loving me,” Yu said. “But you wouldn’t admit it. You just…kept moving forward. But I could tell you weren’t happy with our lives anymore. We were too entwined. Our love life mixed with our work life. We’d argue about investigations through our arguments about dinner, and we’d argue about our relationship through arguments about cases. We’re just…too intense for each other. It’s like shoving too magnets together on the same side. You can push it together all you want, but if you let go for even a second, it flies apart. It was too exhausting for us to keep pushing that relationship together.”

“Too exhausting for you, maybe,” Naoto said.

“Are you going to tell me that you honestly weren’t a little relieved when I broke it all off?”

Yu knew the answer to this question because Naoto had already answered it during the other two times they talked about their break up.

“I was. And…you’re right. I think it needed to end. I was too afraid to end it. And that’s why I’m upset about it.”

“Because I was the one who broke it off and not the other way around?”

“Because…you made me realize I could fall in love.”

This was new to Yu. He didn’t say a word as Naoto stared at the table in contemplation. This was hard for her, and if she was going to get it out, it would be at her own pace.

“When I was young, I had sworn off love. It was too complicated - between my identity issues, my family issues, my constant need to be solving cases…I also just figured it would never happen for me. If I didn’t think about it or desire it like other girls my age, then maybe I could just be aromantic and asexual. Just…skip the whole thing. But then you changed all of that. You showed me not only that I was capable of love but…that I _wanted_ it. And now…I still want it. Not with you. That time was amazing, and I am truly grateful for our relationship but…I think it needs to be with someone else.”

Naoto gripped the stem of her martini glass.

“But I’m afraid. I don’t know how to find another person. I don’t know how to…date, I suppose. I fell in love and you swept me away and we were going to get married and then it didn’t happen. I wanted to go to my old plan, and then I found I couldn’t.”

She looked up at him.

“I suppose that’s why I’m angry.”

“You’ll find someone,” Yu said. “You’re too amazing not to. But in the meantime, you need friends. You need us. Or if not us, then someone.”

“No, I don’t think I’ll ever find friends like you guys ever again. That’s too important to me. And…it has been nice having Chie around. She’s quite lively.”

“And think about how much fun it’ll be when he comes to do my plan,” Yu said, grinning. Naoto narrowed her eyes.

“You already have him coming, don’t you?”

“Rise found him a place and I already made the few calls I needed to make. It’s a done deal. Sorry. I figured you’d come to my way of thinking, though.”

“You’re right, as much as it pains me to admit it. We need something bold. We’ve been moving slow for a year now, and it’s brought about some results…but with these new developments, we can’t afford to not take the openings we have.”

“Glad we can agree.”

They clinked their glasses together.

“Any new theories you have?” Yu asked.

“Just one…but it’s a bit out there…”

“Try it out,” Yu said.

“Kamoshida’s most recent victims were Shiho Suzui, the girl who tried to commit suicide, and Ann Takamaki, her best friend whom Kamoshida was trying to seduce. There were also two boys he was putting forward to the school board for expulsion - Ren Amamiya and Ryuji Sakamoto. According to Kamoshida’s confession, Amamiya and Sakamoto confronted him about Suzui on the same day she jumped.”

“So the victims knew each other?” Yu said.

“It’s more complicated than that,” Naoto said. “When Chie and I went to go interview Suzui, Takamaki was there, as well as another student. We interviewed that student. Then later one, that student was seen several times hanging out with Takamaki, Sakamoto, and Amamiya.”

“So you think that other student might be the key to something?”

“…It’s Nanako, Yu.”

Yu sat straight up.

“Nanako?”

“Yes. Nanako was at the hospital. Nanako has been seen with all the victims.”

“And what do you think that means?” Yu asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe nothing. But considering our theory about the mental shutdowns, psychotic breakdowns, and now this change of heart all has to do with the Midnight Channel…don’t you think Nanako’s presence could mean something?”

Yu thought about this. Nanako had been asking a lot about her capture as a kid. She said he’d had a dream about Namatame’s shadow.

But that couldn’t…

“Something wrong?” Naoto asked.

“No, it’s nothing,” Yu said, quickly following with, “I’ll keep a closer eye on her, though.”

“Probably a good idea,” Naoto said with a nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg, I've been DYING to write this scene for weeks. I hope you enjoyed it.


	119. 4/29 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sliding into DMs.

_Pi pi pi_.

 **HARU:** Hey, Nana-chan! Are you doing anything over Golden Week?   
**HARU:** I was wondering if you wanted to come to Destiny Land with me.

“Nooo, seriously!?”

 **NANAKO:** Oh no! I’m sorry Haru-senpai, I forgot to tell you, I’m back in Inaba visiting my family for Golden Week.   
**HARU:** Oh! Well that sounds nice, too. That’s all right, we can go another time.   
**HARU:** Enjoy your family time.

Nanako was in her room and now groaning into her pillow. Destiny Land! She’d always wanted to go to Destiny Land and never had a chance! Sigh. Well, she supposed it was a good problem to have that she had a loving family that she wanted to see.

…Still, Destiny Land!

_Pi pi pi._

**ANN:** How’s it going, Nanako?   
**NANAKO:** Great! It’s good to see my parents.   
**ANN:** Was the train ride super boring?   
**NANAKO:** Actually I met this guy on the train and we talked the whole time.  
 **ANN:** A guy? What was he like?

Nanako found herself blushing.

 **NANAKO:** He was quite pretty. And nice. And smart.   
**ANN:** Nanako~! I didn’t think that was your type.   
**ANN:** I figured your type was more dark and mysterious.   
**ANN:** Curly hair. Glasses.  
 **ANN:** You know the type.  
 **NANAKO:** Ann!  
 **ANN:** I already told you, I’m rooting for you, Nanako-chan! No competition on my end. But if you want to go after this new guy…  
 **NANAKO:** I do not. I was just trying to enjoy the ride.  
 **ANN:** Go for it girl. Live your best life.

Nanako laughed.

 **NANAKO:** What about you?   
**NANAKO:** I mean, if you don’t want to talk about boys with me that’s okay too. No pressure.  
 **ANN:** No, no, it’s fine. I just don’t really like anyone like that. Never had a boyfriend.  
 **NANAKO:** Really? I thought you would’ve been confessed to all the time in middle school.  
 **ANN:** Just once, actually, and it was pretty surprising. But no, mostly people just sorta ignore me, being a hafu and all.   
**NANAKO:** People really care about that? Seriously?   
**ANN:** More than you would think…  
 **NANAKO:** More than they should! That’s so terrible!  
 **ANN:** This is why you’re great, Nanako. Don’t worry about it. I’m in a good place now.   
**ANN:** Oh! I forgot to tell you, Shiho regained consciousnesss!   
**NANAKO:** That’s amazing!  
 **ANN:** She’s still recovering and has a long way to go, but I was able to tell her that Kamoshida was going to face justice. It was an amazing feeling. I just feel so light and fully of joy!  
 **NANAKO:** I’m so glad you can start to move on from it.  
 **ANN:** Hm. Yeah. Maybe.  
 **ANN:** Well, have fun!

 _Pipipi_.

 **RYUJI:** Dude, have you been keeping an eye on the news!?   
**RYUJI:** It’s crazy! We’re everywhere!  
 **NANAKO:** Calm down, Ryuji. It’s not like we can tell anyone.  
 **RYUJI:** Ah yeah, I keep forgetting that…sucks…  
 **NANAKO:** Hey, I know it’s Golden Week, but you know we have exams coming up right? You should be reviewing. Just a little bit a day will take you far!  
 **RYUJI:** Hell no! This is the break!  
 **NANAKO:** If you don’t review, then I’m going to make you work even harder when I get back.  
 **RYUJI:** Yes, ma’am.

Nanako contemplated if she should send one last text for the night.

 **NANAKO:** Hey. How was your day?  
 **REN:** As I predicted, full of coffee and dishwashing.   
**REN:** How’s Inaba?  
 **NANAKO:** The same we left it. Though it seems a little…smaller.   
**REN:** Huh. I wonder how I’ll feel if I ever go back.  
 **NANAKO:** You will, don’t say things like that.   
**REN:** Sorry, didn’t mean to bring down the mood.   
**NANAKO:** You sure you don’t want any Marukyu Tofu?   
**REN:** I hate tofu.   
**NANAKO:** That’s it, I’m getting you one of everything.   
**REN:** Sigh. By the way, we might be going into Mementos soon. Morgana wants to check things out. Might invite Ryuji and Ann and see how they feel about it.   
**NANAKO:** Sorry I’m not there.  
 **REN:** I wish there was a way to get you there from here…  
 **NANAKO:** I don’t even have the app.  
 **NANAKO:** Nor would I be ready to go in anyway. I had to cover my tracks a little.  
 **REN:** Ah. Probably a good idea.   
**REN:** Well, good night.

Hm. If she had to rate that exchange, she’d probably put it at neutral. But it was nice that they could converse easily and comfortably now.

Nanako went to bed.


	120. 4/29 - Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu checks the office.

“How was it?” Rise asked. Yu shut the front door behind him.

“Fine. She went for it.”

Rise pounced off the couch and held Yu tight in her arms.

“Mine.”

“Yes, yes, yours. Stop worrying so much,” Yu said, kissing her forehead.

“I have to. I love you.”

“And I love you, and Naoto doesn’t love me and I don’t love her.”

“I know,” Rise mumbled, almost ashamed of her insecurity. She buried her face in his chest.

“Did you eat yet?”

“Yes, I ordered in, there’s some for you,” Rise said.

“Great. Just let me pop in the office real quick.”

Rise reluctantly released Yu. He strode calmly to the office, flipped on the light, and shut the door behind him.

Then he went for the chest in the corner. How many years had it been since he opened it? No, wait, he knew exactly - two. Two years ago he popped it open, hoping something inside might give him an answer. He lifted the lid.

Katana, check. He set that aside and dug deeper into the chest.

Compendium Personae.

Right where he left it.

He laughed and let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. That was stupid. Of course Nanako wasn’t involved in any of this Phantom Thieves nonsense. He’d know. He’d have to know. Her curiosity about her past was natural, just a part of her inquisitive nature of being a Dojima. And of course she would find a way to hangout with the misfits, because that was just her. Empathetic, caring, kind to the core.

He picked it up and flipped through the pages. Everything looked the same. He set it down back in the chest, then, on a lark, grabbed his glasses.

“Persona~” he said to himself, flipping on his glasses. He struck a pose.

Then he picked up the katana, hefted it onto his shoulder, and struck another pose.

“Izanagi~” he whispered. “Ishtar~”

He adjusted the glasses and struck a final pose.

“Yu?”

“Coming!” Yu said, quickly tossing his sword back into the chest. He removed the glasses and was about to put them in.

Huh.

There was a tiny scratch on the corner of the lens.

Was that there before? He was pretty sure it wasn’t. But…it was sitting in a chest for two years. It wasn’t like he took care of it or even paid attention to the lenses, they weren’t prescription. Maybe it was like that for the past ten years.

…Or maybe not.


	121. 4/30 - Daytime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako helps out.

“Are you sure your parents don’t mind you helping out?” Yukiko asked.

“Nah, it’s fine. We have days still. Dad’s at work anyway and mom had things she needed to do. Besides, I’m here to visit family, and you’re like family.”

“Aw, Nanako-chan. That’s sweet,” Yukiko said with a beautiful smile. Then she turned into an ogre. “Tsuneo! Get down from there, right now!”

“Ah! Monster mom!” Tsuneo yelled, hopping off a rock. Nanako was helping Yukiko change out towels in the bath house. Yukiko’s two little ones, Tsuneo and Ai, were also “helping.”

“Ha! Monster mom? You haven’t seen anything until you’ve dealt with the dangerous skills of The Daring Nana!” Nanako cried out, holding out a towel in a dramatic pose. Both Tsueno and Ai turned to look at her.

“The Daring Nana? Who’s that?” Tsuneo asked.

“The greatest thief of all time! I can take anything from anywhere,” Nanako said.

“Nu-uh!” Ai said.

“Yeah-huh! In fact, I already stole your favorite toys from your room!”

The two looked at each other.

“N-no you didn’t!” Tsuneo said, mustering up a little defiance. Nanako held the towel around her like a cape, partially covering her face.

“Are you sure…?”

“Nooo!” Tsuneo yelled, charging out of the bathhouse and heading towards his room. Ai ran after him, screaming the whole way. Nanako laughed and folded the towel.

“They miss you,” Yukiko said. “But I hope things are going well…?”

“They are,” Nanako said, trying not to look at her. She had somehow avoided having to answer questions about Ren so far.

“And the young man…?”

“Ew, don’t say it like that, you sound like a g-grandma,” Nanako said, sticking her tongue out.

“Don’t try to change the subject by being rude. You can’t even do it, you stumbled over the word grandma.”

Nanako frowned and blushed at the same time.

“We’ve gotten pretty close,” Nanako said. “It was weird at first. He thought I was kinda…well, stalkery.”

“To be fair, you were kinda stalkery.”

“”I know. But he’s glad I followed him. We’ve been through a few things together already, believe it or not.”

“The thing about your teacher?” Yukiko asked, trying to look disinterested. Nanako wondered if she was probing for something specific.

“Yes. He was accused of something he didn’t do and was going to be expelled. He was…worried, I guess you could say,” Nanako said.

“And you helped him through it with dates?”

“W-we didn’t go on a date!”

“No?”

“Oh. Wait. We kinda did. Well, I don’t know if it was a date or not…we just walked around, ate lunch, went back to his place…”

“Nanako!”

“It wasn’t like that!” Nanako said, blushing even brighter.

“Snrk!….bahahaha!” Yukiko siad, bursting into a fit of giggles. “You’re so embarrassed! That’s hilarious, Nanako-chan!’

“It’s not that funny…” Nanako grumbled.

Nanako and Yukiko worked on a few more chores for the inn. Nanako played The Daring Nana a bit more while Yukiko attended to a few guests. Then they left for a bit while a part-timer took over the inn, taking a picnic lunch with the kids to the park.

“I see the inn is still going well,” Nanako said. “You looked busy.”

“We’re booked up for Golden Week. It’s been a lot…we even had to hire another part-timer.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

“I suppose…Sadao keeps telling me it’s good. But it’s hard to let go of doing everything myself. I know I have to, I’m the manager after all…but then I worry about the quality. My mother keeps working too, and I keep worrying that I’m going to falter as a manager and the whole thing is going to come to ruin. Plus, I don’t know if I can keep the part-timer on after Golden Week…we seem to come in waves. Sometimes we’re so busy I can hardly keep up and sometimes it’s empty for a couple of weeks. But then Sadao says that’s all the more reason I should take that meeting…”

“What meeting?” Nanako asked.

“Oh, the meeting with the investor. Someone wants us to open an Amagi Inn in Tokyo.”

“Really!? That’s amazing!”

“Is it? I’m not so sure…it seems like a lot. I don’t know if we could run two locations, especially two so far apart. And wouldn’t that mean I would need to move to Tokyo? And would a traditional inn like this work in Tokyo? Everyone wants a traditional experience when they come to the country, but I’m not sure it would translate well…”

“It would depend where in Tokyo, I would imagine,” Nanako said. “I was in Ueno not long ago and there’s still a lot of traditional places and craftspeople there. Plus, if it was in a really trendy area, it might be a good novelty, you know?”

“Oh, that’s true. Do you think you could help me figure that out?”

“Oh, I mean, I’m not like an expert or anything…but I bet big bro would help out. Or, I have some friends who have lived in Tokyo for a long time.”

“That would be great!It could mean a lot of great opportunities for us if we had someone who knew what was going on. Thanks so much, Nanako-chan.”

“I’m always glad to help,” Nanako said.

=====

 **SOCIAL LINK RANK UP**  
Temperance: Yukiko Amagi  
Level 1


	122. 4/30 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cabbage.

“Sushi!? Real, actual, sushi? Gimme those chopsticks…mm…oh this is good. You got the good stuff. Spent some real money on it. What’s in this dish here? Oh, barbecued pork! Oof. Mm. Mmmmm. This is really great. And pickled cabbage!? That’s just unfair. I absolutely love cabbage.”

Tohru Adachi paused to look up across the table.

“It’s almost like you did your research.”

They stared at each other a moment. Then Adachi went back to eating like a pig. It was a shame that he couldn’t sit and enjoy the meal - savor each bite, memorize the texture of the sushi and the way the pickled cabbage prickled the back of his tongue. But cops had a nasty habit of giving a prisoner something they loved and then swiping it away a few moments later. It was their way of “showing dominance” or some bullshit.

It never worked on Adachi. He still got to eat good food, and if he ate fast, he could get most of it in his stomach before they could take it back. Even if they kicked the shit out of him and made him puke it up, it was still a good memory to hold onto.

Memories were everything in prison.

“The correctional officers tell me they call you ‘The Gourmand’ because of the number of complaints you give about your meals,” the kid said. He sat with one leg crossed over the other, just out of the ring of light from the hanging fixture in the interrogation room. It left his upper torso hidden in shadow, which Adachi figured must be part of the intimidation technique. Or maybe the kid was just trying to hide how scared he was.

“Yeah, well, prison food sucks, kid. Plus, if you complain about food enough, people who want something out of you give you the good stuff. Like you did.”

“Ah, so it’s intentional.”

“Don’t put me on some pedestal. I’m not a mastermind. I just notice stuff,” Adachi said.

The kid leaned forward and picked up the manilla folder he had set on the other end of the table and opened it.

“Tohru Adachi, age 37. You used to work as a detective for Inaba PD, where you had a below-average career. In 2011, you were arrested in connection with the serial murders that were occurring in Inaba, as well as charges of abuse of authority, interfering with a police investigation, tampering of evidence…basically, any additional charge they could add to the list in order to keep you locked away.”

Adachi kept eating, but he slowed down a little. The kid wasn’t going to take his food away in the middle of his “intimidating monologue.”

“Your interrogations were convoluted. Though you admitted to the crime, you made a number of outlandish claims, including the method of murder being ‘putting someone into the TV.’ This resulted in you being placed under psychiatric evaluation for an eight month period, after which they determined you were unable to stand trial in your current psychiatric state. You were then placed in the Criminal Detention Hospital in Kyoto.”

“That place had real good food. Nice rooms, cute nurses…I should’ve stayed there…” Adachi mused.

“Yes, well, the staff there felt that your presence was disrupting the other patients, which led them to reclassify you as fit to stand trial. You were tried in 2013 for the murders and though you confessed, your defense lawyer used the lack of substantiated evidence and the media to put the Japanese justice system under scrutiny. Bowing to public pressure, they postponed your trial while further examination of your mental health and collection of evidence continued. That was seven years ago.”

“Yeah, you’d think they’d be finished by now, huh?” Adachi said.

“Through loopholes in the detention system, they keep you ‘in holding, awaiting trial,’ continuously transferring you from prison to prison while you wait for a trial that is likely never to come. You’re like a hanged man, caught between two extremes, never to find a conclusion. Do I have all the details right?”

“Sure,” Adachi said. “Except that I don’t really care. This way is fine. I get moved every once in a while, get a new cell, new roommates, a change of scenery. New food, even if its still shitty. I get found guilty, I’ll be stuck in a max security for the rest of my life, probably in the same cell. Variety is the spice of life, kid, didn’t anyone ever tell you that?”

“Perhaps you’re more of a mastermind than you let on.”

“What is it you want?” Adachi finally said. “Because this show you’re putting on here is tired and boring and I’ve seen it before. In fact, you’re just a bad ripoff. They call you the ‘Detective Prince’ don’t they? I already worked with a real Detective Prince, and while that little brat pissed me off, at least she had the skills. You? You ain’t it, kid. So let’s stop pretending we’re playing some bullshit mental chess game. What do you want?”

Akechi scooted his chair forward into the light.

“I want details. I’ve heard your confession, I’ve read the transcripts, but you keep getting cut off because your interrogators don’t believe you. I do believe you. And I want to know the details of how you did it.”

“No.”

Adachi pushed his empty plates forward and belched.

“May I ask why not?”

“You’re not the first fanboy to approach me, kid. I’m a messed up guy, but I’m not willing to encourage other people to do what I did. I played my game, had my fun, and I lost. So now I sit in prison. It’s the way of things. But I’m not gonna tell you stuff so you can go home and fantasize about being a serial killer with magic powers.”

Akechi leaned forward. His hair draped around his face, creating a curtain that allowed Adachi to only see his eyes.

“Magatsu Izanagi,” he whispered.

“What the hell?” Adachi said. “Where did you…”

“I’ve already looked around inside your mind, Adachi-san,” Akechi said. “I’d rather not have to dig any further. It’s a lot of work and I’m not sure you’ll come out of it alive. So perhaps it’s better that you just share what you know. I’ll bring more food. And perhaps you can go back to Kyoto, with the nice rooms and the cute nurses.”

Adachi thought about this. It was true, he didn’t consider himself a mastermind. But he was pretty good at noticing things - better than Dojima ever acknowledged him for. Akechi had successfully grabbed Adachi’s attention, but he had to tip his hand to do it. Now Adachi knew Akechi had the same types of powers he had - the ability to go into that other world. Maybe he even had a Persona. Maybe he was the one who was responsible for the psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns. Maybe he was even that Phantom Thief he heard the guards talking about.

Not that any of that mattered to him.

But, as shitty as Adachi’s life was, he didn’t want to die. He was a coward in that way.

“All right,” Adachi said, leaning back. “What do you want to know?”

“Start at the beginning.”


	123. 4/30 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dojima watches TV.

“What’re you watching, dad?” Nanako asked. Her dad had his attention glued to the TV. He had opened the beer in his hand, but hadn’t yet taken a single sip.

He didn’t respond.

Mom sighed. “He seems to be completely engrossed in a case that isn’t his. Isn’t that right, dear?”

“Hm? Oh, sorry. It’s just interesting,” dad said. Nanako peered over to see the news was talking yet again about Shujin and the phantom thieves calling card.

“You sure you’re not just over-worrying about Nanako?” mom asked.

“No, not at all. That place is going to be under a microscope now, it’s probably the safest school in all of Japan right now,” Dad commented. “But it is pretty interesting that he just went ahead and confessed to everything unprompted.”

Nanako wasn’t sure how to tread on this one. On the one hand, she should probably act normal - which in the past would have been to play around with the ideas of the case with her dad. But, now that she was aware of just how good her father was, it seemed a dangerous prospect. One little slip-up and she could give away the whole thing.

Then again, _not_ talking to him about it would be equally suspicious.

Besides, how was he ever going to figure out anything about the Metaverse?

“Do you think there’s anything to these thieves?” Nanako asked.

“Probably. The coincidence is just too great. I’ve heard some people think that students put up the note as a way of retaliating and either Kamoshida thought that the truth was going to come out, but that seems too convenient for a man who had so much influence over the school. If I had to guess, I’d say that someone had some real solid proof over Kamoshida and was going to release it, so he tried to cut it off by confessing. You can sometimes get a lighter sentence by coming forward with everything…though I don’t think in this case he’ll be getting a light sentence, too many eyes on him.”

“So that’s it? Basic blackmail?”

“Why, do you think it’s something deeper?”

Nanako hesitated, but nodded. “I was there when he started talking about it. If he was going to confess, why do it in front of the whole student body? And…I don’t know, he seemed to be genuinely sorry.”

“Criminals are only sorry they’re caught, not sorry that they did it.”

“Didn’t seem like it to me,” Nanako said with a shrug.

Dad turned his focus to her, which she found worrying. She sat down and started in on the dinner that mom was setting out.

“Maybe something happened in his life to help him find his conscience,” Dad suggested.

“That happens?”

“Sometimes. Maybe the weight of that girl was too much for him to bear,” he said.

“So you don’t think the whole thing about them making him confessing his sins is something they can really do?” Nanako asked. Dad frowned.

“No. How would they do that? Post-hypnotic suggestion? Magic? No, no, stuff like that doesn’t exist in the real world. It would be nice if it did, though.”

“Why, so criminals would just turn themselves in? Wouldn’t you be out of a job?”

“Probably. But it would be a nicer world.”

Dad finally sipped the beer and joined everyone else for dinner.

“What do you think you would’ve done if it were a nicer world and you didn’t need to be a detective, dear?” mom asked, clearly trying to change the subject off of Kamoshida and the phantom thieves. Dad thought about it for a moment.

“Hmm…I’m not sure. I like figuring things out, so it’d have to be something where I could use my mind a lot. Maybe a teacher?”

Nanako and mom both laughed.

“What? What’s so funny?”

“You as a teacher, dear. You’re too gruff with other people.”

“Yeah, I can see it now. ‘Hey, student, shut up and listen to me!’” Nanako said in her best impression of her dad. They both laughed while dad grinned.

“Yeah, yeah, well, maybe I wouldn’t be so rough if I didn’t have to deal with scumbags all the time. I think I’d make a great teacher.”

“I do too, actually,” Nanako said. “After all, you’ve taught me a lot.”

“Well, you’re a good student. Besides, our minds work pretty similarly. Just look at how you poke away at that Kamoshida case.”

“I _was_ trying to change the subject…” mom said, dropping all pretense. Neither Nanako nor Dad acknowledged it.

“Hey, if these phantom thieves really could do that…would it be right?”

“Sure, why not?”

“I mean…there is an element of consent involved,” Nanako pointed out.

“There is an element of consent in crimes, too. I wouldn’t feel too bad about a guy who molests kids getting brainwashed into confessing. But I see what you mean. Two wrongs don’t make a right, and would that be crossing a line? I’m not sure. I could see it both ways.”

“Why both ways? I mean, wouldn’t it be sort of against the law? Vigilantism, at least.”

“I suppose, yes, technically it would be wrong. However they would violate a person’s mental space would probably be intrusive. That said…the system doesn’t always work the way it’s supposed to. Amamiya is just one example of that. Okura would’ve been too, had he not given you his phone. And believe me when I say cops don’t need magic powers to get a confession out of a person…even though sometimes it’s not legitimate.”

Dad sipped his beer.

“I guess what I’m saying is that if we police didn’t want someone like these phantom thieves doing stuff like this, then we should do a better job and fix our system. Until then, I don’t think any cop has a leg to stand on.”

“Hm. Thanks, dad. That’s a lot to think about.”

“Indeed it is,” Mom said. “Now can we _please_ talk about something else?”

“Okay…” both Nanako and dad said in the same tone.

All three laughed.

=====

 **SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
** Death: Ryotaro Dojima  
Level 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loving all the theories and questions springing up from the last chapter. 
> 
> All I can say is...guess you'll have to wait and see! :3


	124. 5/1 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako goes shopping.

“Do you think I should change my hair?” Nanako asked. She stood in front of a long mirror at the department store in Okina City. She was wearing a cream colored turtleneck that was super adorable but was way too hot for the upcoming summer, and a gray skirt. Mom was taking her shopping.

“Hm, well, I’ve always liked it down,” mom said. Nanako reached up and undid the twin tails and let her hair fall down. It was a little twisted from being tied up all day, but she still looked pretty cute that way too. Her hair down, combined with the outfit, made her look older and more mature.

“Hmm…I don’t hate it,” Nanako said. “But…I don’t know…”

“What about a ponytail?” mom suggested. She reached to an accessory rack and pulled out a lavender colored elastic with extra tails on the end that made it look like a scarf. Nanako pulled it up into the a ponytail and examined it from every angle.

“I kinda like it,” Nanako said. “Fun, but…different.”

“Different is always good. Sometimes helps people see you in a new light…”

Nanako blushed. She hadn’t said specifically she was trying to figure out a new hairstyle to get Ren’s attention, but apparently her mom was more perceptive than she let on.

“Whatever makes you the most happy with your appearance is what you should do. Even if it means shaving your head,” mom said. Nanako laughed.

“Well _that_ wouldn’t make me happy, but thanks for the support. What does make me happy is this turtleneck, but it’s gonna be too hot…”

“I’ll get a few things for summer,” mom said. She scooped up all the discarded clothes into a pile over her arm and left the dressing room.

 _Pi pi pi_.

 **KANJI:** Hey, you still wanna do some work?

Nanako had forgotten she had asked Kanji for that.

 **NANAKO:** I got my money troubles figured out so if you’re doing it for me, I’m okay.   
**NANAKO:** But if you just need help, I’d love to see you when I’m in town!  
 **KANJI:** Oh, I forgot you were in town. That’s even better. Swing on by later, I’ll fill ya in.

Mom pushed open the dressing room door and set new clothes out, insisting she try them. Nanako changed out of the turtleneck and skirt and grabbed the first outfit. The jeans fit nice and had a cool lotus flower pattern sewn on the left thigh.

The top was confusing, though. It was made of a beautiful lace along in a shade of cool, wintery blue. But the straps were thin, and it seemed kinda short. Nanako wrestled with the top until she got it on then frowned at herself. Mom slipped inside.

“This is uh…?” Nanako said, pulling at the hem. “Kinda short. And you can see my bra.”

“It’s a crop top, dear, it’s supposed to be short, and you’re not supposed to wear a bra with it.”

“M-mom! Isn’t this too…audacious?”

“Oh, live a little Nanako. You’re only young once. I’m buying it for you. You might need it.”

“Are you sure…?”

“Yes, quite sure. You never know when the right occasion might come up for something daring like that. Love can be a battlefield, Nanako. Don’t be caught unprepared.”

Mom leaned in.

“I had to work pretty hard to get your father to fall in love with me, so I know what I’m talking about.”

They laughed together.


	125. 5/1 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako gets photographed.

“Hey, Nanako! Thanks for coming by,” Kanji said, opening the door wide for her to enter.

“Smile!”

“O-oh, hello,” Nanako stammered as her eyes were assaulted by a bright light. She could vaguely make out the silhouette of a young man wearing a beanie holding a camera apparatus.

“Hey, come on Masi, give her a little space, and turn down the lights!” Kanji snapped as he shut the door behind him.

“Haha, sorry Tatsumi-san, just eager to get started,” the young man said. He adjusted a dimmer on the light and Nanako could finally see more clearly. The guy was a little older than she was, maybe 19 or 20. He had black hair falling out of the edges of the dark blue beanie, down to the base of his neck, and a goofy smile. He wore a green flannel shirt over a black band T-shirt for some group called ESTUARY OVERDRIVE. Nanako had never heard of it. He had on jeans and sneakers.

“Nanako, this is Masi O-”

“You can call me Masi-masi,” the young man said, keeping the camera trained on Nanako. “That’s my YouTube name and channel.”

“Right, yeah. Masi, this is Nanako Dojima, a friend of mine. She’s the one from the samurai fox video.”

“Oh, cool, cool. Yeah, not bad camera work for an amateur. You never did anything like that before?” Masi asked.

“No, not exactly for something of Kanji’s level…and uh, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Mhm, same,” Masi said, never faltering with the camera. Nanako turned to Kanji.

“Uh…why is he still filming me?”

“Good question. Masi, go take a break will ya?”

“Whatever you say, Tatsumi-san!” Masi cheerily lowered the camera, turned off the light, and went to the other side of the workshop. Nanako watched as Kanji rubbed his eyes.

“Something wrong?”

“No, no. At least, I don’t think so. Listen, Masi there is a social media expert. He has a huge following, a top-rated Japanese channel, and even gets onto the mainstream TV sometimes. He reached out to me a couple of weeks ago asking to do a collab and I thought it might be good. You know, get my message out there to more of the world.”

“That sounds amazing, Kanji!” Nanako said, suddenly excited. “But…what do you need me for?”

“Well…he says he’s anexpert at grabbing youth attention, especially of people your age or even middle school. I’m not sure I’m young enough to know if he’s lying or not.”

“Aren’t you only 25?” Nanako asked.

“Eh, yeah but…truthfully, I didn’t really understand high schoolers when I was in high school myself. Anyway, I guess I was just wondering if you’d hang out a bit and watch him work and then just keep an eye on the channel when you have time. I don’t want to turn my work into something that it’s not, but I also don’t want to limit myself out of fear.”

Kanji crossed his arms and frowned at the floor.

“Damnit, I wish I could figure this shit out for myself, I hate having to ask you to do this…I’ll pay you whatever you want.”

“I don’t mind doing this at all, Kanji,” Nanako said. “I watch your channel all the time anyway. And I’ll take any excuse to hang out with you when I’m in Inaba.”

Kanji let out a breath and seemed to relax a little.

“Okay. Thanks, Nanako-chan. But you have to let me pay you, it’ll help with my guilt.”

“If you insist,” Nanako said, though she was secretly glad. She had been thinking the last couple of days about some things that she and Ren might need if they were going to continue on this mission, and it wasn’t going to be cheap.

“All right, let’s go film the first segment. If he starts to annoy you, just tell him off or let me know and I’ll throw his ass out.”

Nanako laughed.

=====

 **SOCIAL LINK RANK UP   
**Hanged Man: Kanji Tatsumi  
Level 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnd we're back! 
> 
> Sorry for the drop off in updates, everyone. It was a crazier American Thanksgiving week than I anticipated! My garage door broke! I ended up doing like three podcast episodes! And then like, trying to do holiday things during a pandemic! 
> 
> Anyway, so my new icon is from some fan art done by Aira_Aura14! They posted a bunch of pictures on Twitter the other day, including Nanako in her suspenders, her sundress, and just a bunch of cool stuff! Here's the tweet, you should totally follow them and support them! 
> 
> https://twitter.com/AiraAura6/status/1332950586862362626
> 
> Hope you're all doing well. More updates soon!


	126. 5/2 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako goes to Junes.

_Pi pi pi_.

“Oh, I need to get this, it won’t take long,” Nanako said to her parents. The three of them were casually strolling through Junes, browsing around with no particular goal in mind. Mom had stopped to discuss getting new bedsheets with dad, and the two of them just nodded at her while they fervently argued about the necessity of higher thread counts.

“Hello?” Nanako answered smiling from ear to ear.

“Hi. It’s Ren.”

“Hey.”

“Hey.

A pause.

“You texted earlier. You said you needed me to call you,” Ren prompted.

“Oh. Uh. No, I said I _wanted_ you to call me. I don’t… _need_ you to call me.”

“Oh. So nothing’s wrong?”

“Um. No.” Nanako felt her cheeks flushing. Why was this suddenly so awkward? She hadn’t thought of needing an excuse to talk to Ren, things had been going pretty well…but then again, there had always been the looming problem of Kamoshida in the background to fall back on. But she couldn’t really talk about that stuff right now, in public.

“Okay.” Ren said, though it sounded like there was a smirk in his voice. “…Did you miss me?”

“What!? N-no! Why would you say that?” Nanako stammered.

Ren laughed. His voice was so rich and deep that his laugh felt like a jolly thunderclap, even through the tiny speakers of the phone.

“It’s okay. I miss you too.”

“Oh my God I am blushing so hard right now…” Nanako said aloud. Why did she say that aloud!? Get control of yourself, Nanako!

“I bet it’s cute. Hey, I gotta go, Sojiro’s giving me the stink eye.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye.”

The call ended, leaving Nanako holding the phone to her chest. He missed her! And then he said she was cute! She felt ready to burst with her joy. She needed to tell someone! Mom? No, wait until dad wasn’t around for that. Maybe Yukiko. Or Ann. Ann had encouraged her, hadn’t she?

Nanako realized that while she was talking on the phone she had wandered straight out of the store and onto the food court patio. She slipped her phone back into her bag and started back for the doors.

“That’s why this election is more important than ever! The ruling party is making a lot of promises that it cannot keep. It’s using fear and division to build a false sense of trust! They claim they can make this country great, but I say it is _already_ great! Don’t be led astray by those who would use fear.”

Someone was making an election speech. The elections for the Diet were coming up soon, and she supposed now was the time for people to be canvassing through their home territories and-

Nanako looked at the politician.

Her heart accelerated and her breathing became shallow. Suddenly a darkness started closing in around the edges of her vision.

Namatame.

Namatame looked older, of course, but still more or less the same as he had ten years ago. He stood on his box, speaking passionately to anyone entering Junes.

“P…P…Perso…” Nanako stammered to herself, clutching at the air for a card that wasn’t there. Of course it wasn’t there. This wasn’t the Metaverse. This wasn’t a dream. This was reality.

Taro Namatame was standing right in front of her.

He hadn’t seen her yet. That was good. That was the only thing that kept her safe, she had to stay out of sight, slip herself behind one of the tables and then -

Nanako’s legs wobbled from beneath her and she fell over, knocking a trashcan as she did. The sound clattered through the food court, and everyone gathered around turned to look at her.

Including Namatame.

“No no no no no no…” she whispered to herself. “He saw you. He saw you. You have to run. Run and stay away from the TV, run and stay away from the TV, big bro will save you, dad will save you, just run and-”

“Nanako?”

Dad.

He bolted over to her and helped her sit up.

“Nanako, can you hear me? Are you all right?”

“Na…na…”

He looked up and saw Namatame. Namatame seemed to see dad, too, and quickly looked away, continuing with his speech. The other onlookers also went back to listening to the speech or continuing on into Junes. Nanako felt mom’s hands too.

“It’s okay, sweetie, it’s fine. He won’t hurt you,” Mom whispered.

“I’m here, Nanako. Nothing can hurt you while I’m here,” Dad said.

Nanako only nodded. She let them lead her to a table. Dad sat with her while mom went to get something to drink.

“Just breathe, Nanako. You’re safe.”

Nanako nodded and squeezed her eyes shut.


	127. 5/2 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako goes on a walk.

“I feel ashamed, more than anything,” Nanako said over the phone.

“Why?” Ren asked.

Nanako thought about this. The rest of the day had been rough. After she calmed down, she went home and rested in her room and listened while her parents argued about what they should do about what just happened. Mom had pushed for therapy. Dad said he didn’t want Nanako reliving any of the past. Mom pointed out that she was already reliving it, but without guidance.

They compromised by having Dad come talk to her. They went over what happened, and Dad told Nanako the same version of the story she’d always heard: Namatame was being manipulated by Dad’s old partner, Adachi, into kidnapping victims which Adachi then murdered. Namatame had been released since they didn’t have enough evidence to put the kidnapping on him, and since then Namatame had been working in politics again, trying to repair the damage he had done.

The part of the story about the lack of evidence had always confused Nanako - how could big bro have saved her from him and yet there was not enough evidence? Now she understood why. How could they prove that Namatame put people into the Metaverse? How could Yu testify to that fact? Even if they told the truth, no one would believe it.

The justice system was ill-equipped to handle such a case.

Dad reassured her that she was safe, and that he wouldn’t let anyone hurt her ever again. And that worked, when she was a little girl. If only her dad’s love was actually strong enough to do that.

But Nanako didn’t want protecting anymore. She could protect herself just fine from new dangers. It was the ghosts of these old ones that she didn’t know how to fight.

After dinner, Nanako said she needed to go on a walk. After a little time wandering Inaba, she found herself calling Ren again, and telling him the whole story.

“I guess I’m ashamed because I thought I handled this already, back in the palace with Kamoshida. I thought it was behind me.”

“I don’t think it’s that easy. What you did in Kamoshida’s palace was very strong, but trauma takes a while to heal…I think. I’m not a psychologist or anything,” Ren said.

“No, but I think you’re right…it was dumb of me to think one moment of triumph was enough to fix all my baggage.” Nanako sat down and sighed. “Maybe my mom’s right. Maybe I do need therapy. But how would I even start talking about something like this?”

“Maybe start with your big bro,” Ren suggested.

“But…if we want to keep doing what we’re doing…” Nanako said, trailing off. Ren made a low grunting noise.

“That would make it more difficult,” Ren said, measuring his words carefully.

“So you want me to not talk to him?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You want me to talk to him?”

“I didn’t say that, either,” Ren said. Nanako frowned.

“You still want me to stay here in Inaba, don’t you?”

There was a long pause.

“No, I don’t want that. I told you that. I just think it’s the smarter thing to do. For yourself.”

“Well, I don’t.”

“It’s your choice to make,” Ren replied.

“You’re right, it is,” Nanako snapped, feeling irritation rising in her. “You know…I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.”

She hung up.

“Ugh, this boy!” she yelled. It was only then that she realized during her wandering that she had ended up at Tatsuhime Shrine, in the same area where she and Ren had first struck their deal. She put her phone away and walked back over to the _ema_. Her’s from last February was gone, she noticed. But the other one was still there.

“I wish for evil hearts to change,” she read aloud, again. “Ironic.”

“Yip.”

Nanako spun around.

“Hey, it’s you again,” Nanako said. She crouched down while the fox with the heart bib around its neck padded forward. The fox looked at her curiously. Nanako concentrated and examined the fox’s face.

“Oh, no, you’re not the same fox, you’re missing a scar…I guess that makes sense. That would be a really long time for a fox to live.”

The fox stepped even closer and lowered its head. Nanako gingerly reached forward and patted its head. The fox seemed to smile.

“You have the same bib, though…I wonder if you’re related to the other fox? Did you know him? I left him an umbrella once.”

The fox nodded. Nanako frowned.

“Did you…nod?”

The fox stared at her.

“Great Nanako, now you’re talking to a fox…”

Nanako sat down. The fox sat down too.

“My big bro knew that fox, too. I think he used to talk to it. I’m not really sure what it was he did, but I used to see him sneaking around the shrine.”

The fox nodded again.

“Did you know him?”

Stare.

Nanako dug out her phone and searched something.

“It says that foxes live between 2 and 5 years…so that would make you that fox’s grandchild, right? Unless you’re like a Kitsune or something.”

Stare.

“Wow, I so badly don’t want to confront my problems that I’m sitting here talking to a fox…” Nanako sighed. “I don’t suppose you can help me, can you?”

The fox turned and looked at the _ema_.

“Oh, right, I suppose I could put a wish, couldn’t I?”

Nanako got up and found a blank one and something to write with. What did she want to wish for, anyway? For Ren to make sense? For her own issues to just…go away? For a clear direction on where to go?

“I wish for guidance,” she said, writing it down and hanging it on the shrine. The fox padded over and looked up at it. Then it looked at Nanako, and then the offering box.

“Oh, right.” Nanako dug through her purse, found some money, and dropped it in. The fox nodded, then turned and darted off.

“Hey! Aren’t you going to give me guidance?” Nanako called out. She chased after the fox, who ran to the other side of the shrine. The fox was much faster, of course, and by the time she rounded the corner, it was gone. She frowned.

That was stupid. But at least it gave her something to do for a few minutes. She was just about go home when something caught her eye. By one of the trees behind the shrine, it looked like someone had dumped some garbage. That was extremely odd - why didn’t anyone from the town come get rid of it? Or the priests, for that matter? She walked over to it. It was mostly a bunch of small electronics - a tape player, an old VCR, a couple of remote controls.

And a TV.

The TV was an older model CRT with a huge back to it. It had a dent on the top, but otherwise wasn’t in too bad condition, though it had obviously been sitting there for years, which meant there was no chance of it ever working.

But the screen was intact.

Nanako crouched down. It was just large enough for her to fit through. Definitely large enough for a fox.

Could it be…?

She reached out. Her fingers hovered millimeters away from the glass. Her heart pounded in her ears. She took a deep breath and leaned forward.

She touched dusty glass.

Nanako let out a breath of relief and exasperation.

“Time to go home,” Nanako commanded herself. She dusted off her hand and marched out of the shrine.


	128. 5/3 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bring your daughter to work.

“Dad, seriously, this office…” Nanako said, fussing around with the stacks of paper on the desk. “How old are some of these files?”

“What, I’m busy…” Dad grumbled.

“Well you don’t _look_ busy at the moment. Come on, let’s get this place cleaner!”

“Really? Now? Do we have to?”

“I can get Yamamoto to help me if you’d rather.”

He sighed. “No, he’ll probably just mess it up…”

Nanako helped her dad clean her office and felt she was a bit kinder for it.


	129. 5/3 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako goes shopping. Again.

“Ohmigosh, Nanako-chan!”

Nanako turned around. It was the Hanas, both of them rushing over to her with shopping bags in hand.

“Oh hey, Hana, Hanako! It’s nice to see you,” Nanako said.

“We didn’t know you were back in town! Why didn’t you tell us?” Hana asked.

“Is it true you went to Tokyo just to follow Amamiya? I mean, I don’t blame you, he’s hot, but…” Hanako added.

“Is Tokyo amazing? You’re living in Shibuya, right? Man, I’m so jealous,” Hana said.

Nanako raised both of her hands to slow them down. “Yes, I’m back, sorry I didn’t tell you. No I didn’t just go to follow Amamiya, though he…is going to the same school as me. And yes, Tokyo is pretty amazing, but I miss Inaba sometimes too. I was just realizing that the Shopping District has a lot of fun stores I never went in before…”

Both Hanas lit up.

“That’s because you never went shopping with us!”

“Yeah, Nanako-chan, you’re missing out! Hanako, we have to do this. For the pride of Inaba, we must show Nanako that our cute shops are just as good as the ones in Tokyo!”

“Yes!”

Before she knew it, Nanako was being dragged along the Central Shopping District, being dragged into every store imaginable.

She bought a few things and got some advice from the Hanas on how to be a bit more fashionable. She felt a little more charming because of it.


	130. 5/4 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako leaves home to go home.

“Didn’t you only have two bags when you got here?” Dad asked as he and Nanako stood on the train platform.

“Yeah, but mom bought me so many clothes I had to bring another one,” she said with a sigh, though she smiled when she did.

“She misses you,” he said.

“So do you. And I miss both of you a lot, too. But…”

Nanako turned to face her dad and look him straight in the eyes.

“Thanks so much for letting me do this. I’ve only been gone a little while and I’ve already learned a lot - about myself, about the world, about what it takes to start over in a new place. I feel…”

“Mature?” Dad suggested.

“I guess, yeah. Experienced?”

Dad chuckled. “Well, I think it suits you. Just remember to keep in touch. And remember that if you need anything, you just call. I worry about you. I worry about what happened on Sunday, and with all the stuff going on in your school…”

“I know. And I won’t tell you not to worry, because I know you can’t. But…I guess, have faith in me?”

“I do. If I didn’t, you wouldn’t be getting on that train.”

They hugged as the train pulled forward.

“And uh, Nanako…the next time you come back…if you want to invite some friends or…you know, even that boy…it’s okay by me.”

“Really?!” she said, beaming ear to ear.

“Yeah. Just give me a heads up, okay?”

“Thanks, daddy! I love you!”

She snuck in one more hug, even as dad was grumbling to her that she needed to get on the train. She lugged her three bags on, found a window seat, and waved at him until he was out of sight.

Nanako sighed and leaned back in the seat. It had been good to go home and get some perspective on things. She had really _missed_ Inaba while she was in Tokyo. But now she felt like she had missed Tokyo while she was in Inaba.

Was that how it was going to be from now on? Her heart always split in two, always longing for everything to be together? Wanting to be in a small town and the big city all at once?

Another contradiction she had to hold in her heart.

 _Pi pi pi_.

 **ANN:** Hey, when do you come back?   
**NANAKO:** Right now, I just got on the train. I’ll be in late this afternoon.   
**ANN:** Thank goodness!   
**ANN:** I need girl time! Right away!  
 **NANAKO:** What do you mean?   
**ANN:** I mean, we’ve been on break and I’ve been hanging out with Ren and Ryuji and I need to get away from all the testosterone!   
**NANAKO:** Ahh, I get it. Well, let’s hang out tonight. I don’t have plans.   
**ANN:** Great! Come up to my place, you hosted the other times, and I’m sure you’re gonna be tired.  
 **NANAKO:** Okay. I just need to unpack when I get back and find a place for all these new clothes.  
 **ANN:** New clothes!? Bring them with you, I wanna see!

Nanako laughed.

 **NANAKO:** Okay. They’re nothing special.  
 **ANN:** Let me be the judge of that!   
**ANN:** I’ll order in, so don’t eat anything.   
**ANN:** See you tonight!

Nanako looked through the rest of her contact list.

 **NANAKO:** Hey, you surviving over there?  
 **RYUJI:** Yeah! We have the place for tomorrow all picked out, and I just crushed my high score.   
**NANAKO:** You didn’t study at all, did you?  
 **RYUJI:** Why would I do that?

Nanako sighed.

 **NANAKO:** I have my work cut out for me…  
 **RYUJI:** Stop worryin’ about that stuff and enjoy your break! You’re coming back today aren’t you?   
**NANAKO:** Yeah, I’m on the train right now.  
 **RYUJI:** How was Inyabi?   
**NANAKO:** Inaba! And it was good. Hung out with old friends and family mostly.  
 **RYUJI:** Cool. See you tomorrow!

She looked at her message thread with Ren. It’d been a whole day since she’d last talked to him.

She decided she was still mad at him and turned off her phone. She idly glanced around the train, and realized she was looking for Akechi. His presence had made the last ride go by so quickly…

She put in her headphones and decided to listen to music.


	131. 5/4 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako models for Ann.

“Okay, okay, we ate, let’s see the clothes!” Ann announced.

“I don’t think I can,” Nanako said, looking around the room warily.

“Come on! I’m sure they’re cute, don’t be nervous.”

“No, I mean, I just don’t physically think I can. What if they…you know…”

“Hm?” Ann looked confused.

“This place is a mess!” Nanako said. “There’s clothes everywhere! If I put my clothes down, they’re gonna get swallowed up in this chaos pit!”

Nanako slapped her hands over her mouth.

“Sorry, sorry, that was too harsh!”

“No, you’re right…” Ann said, folding her arms and staring embarrassed down at the floor. “I guess it could use a little tidying…”

“No, no, I was way out of line. You invited me here, I shouldn’t be complaining…how about we just straighten up a little? I’ll help.”

“No, it’s okay, I can do it,” Ann said, bending over to start scooping things up.

“No, seriously, I don’t mind. I like cleaning. It’s like…bringing order to chaos in the physical world helps me feel like the other chaos in the universe can be contained.”

“Really? Cleaning just makes me bored,” Ann admitted. “And it makes me feel like I’m a total gross slob, which I guess I am.”

“I mean, this isn’t _gross_ , it’s just…cluttered.”

Which was about as nice of a word that Nanako could use to describe it. There were just clothes _everywhere_ , and Ann’s room was mostly closet. But there weren’t old food containers or moldy plates or anything. Just lots of clothes. Nanako and Ann started sorting, folding, and hanging. Nanako was brutally efficient about her folding technique - she liked to think of it as origami for clothing, and the more compact and smooth you could get it, the better.

“When you model in clothing, you have the chance to buy them at a huge discount,” Ann explained. “I kinda got in a bad habit of snatching up everything I looked great in…which of course is _everything_ because they’re professionals, you know?”

“These are gorgeous,” Nanako said. “You should wear something fancy for tomorrow. I will too, though I don’t have anything quite this nice.”

“Oh, that would be fun! The Wilton Hotel Buffet is pretty classy, and honestly I don’t usually have a reason to wear a lot of this stuff.”

“Maybe we can get the guys to dress nice, too,” Nanako suggested.

“Ren, maybe. I wouldn’t hold my breath for Ryuji.”

They both laughed.

Soon enough the chaos was at least manageable (though Nanako was still suspicious of one more closet that Ann would _not_ let her in) and she set down the extra suitcase she had brought with all the new clothes. Nanako went through some of the new outfits - a new lavender sundress with tiny white and yellow flowers; a pair jeans with brown chukka boots with a slight heel and a goldenrod colored tunic-style t-shirt; black leggings with a purple skirt and a white tank-top that had bubble-style graffiti lettering in a purple-pink that said “LOVE.”

“Ooh, you have good taste,” Ann said. “You’re so cute!”

“Stop it, it’s all fine, but I’m not _cute_.”

“You definitely are, don’t sell yourself short. Hey, what about this one?”

Ann held up the blue lace crop top that mom had insisted Nanako buy. Nanako grimaced.

“I don’t think that’s really right for me,” Nanako explained.

“I told you I would be the judge! Come on, put it on.”

Nanako sighed, but she knew Ann well enough now that there was going to be no relenting from her. She set to work on putting it on.

“I don’t think I have good pants for it, though,” Nanako said.

“You can borrow something of mine,” Ann said, standing up to rummage through her own clothes.

“Yeah right, like anything of yours would fit me,” Nanako groaned. Ann was taller than Nanako and also a lot curvier in the hips and chest. Ann’s clothes would just slide off Nanako like a hoop around a stick.

“Will you stop it? I think…aha, here we go. Try this.”

Nanako caught the garment and put it on. It was a pair of high-waisted, pale blue slacks that were the exact matching color to her blue laced top. The waist tapered in perfectly on Nanako and left just a narrow stripe of her midriff showing. The pants were a little too long, but otherwise it looked shockingly good on her.

“Wow,” Ann said. “Now that’s a look. You need to keep those pants. I’ll have the legs hemmed up. Too bad I can’t get it done before tomorrow.”

“I don’t know, this might be a little too bold for tomorrow,” Nanako said.

“Mm, maybe. Still, it’d be fun to watch Ren drool over you…” Ann said with a wink. Nanako glowered.

“Hmph. I doubt it. The only thing he’d be drooling over is the food…”

“Uh oh. Did something happen?”

Nanako sighed, wandered over towards Ann’s bed, and fell back onto it.

“Yes. No. Kinda. I don’t know. He’s so hard to figure out! Just when I think he’s showing some interest in me, he gets all quiet and mysterious again. It’s so annoying!”

Nanako sat up.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“No, I wanna hear it,” Ann said, sliding onto the bed next to her and grabbing a heart-shaped pillow to hug in front of her. “If you don’t mind telling it.”

Nanako told her everything from the beginning. It was the first time she’d told the _whole_ story, including the breaking and entering of the school. Ann was riveted by it, only interrupting to ask a few questions.

“I can’t believe he kissed you,” Ann said when Nanako was through with the story. “And I can’t believe you followed him here! You two are something else. I don’t think I could ever do either of those things.”

“Yeah, well, I guess we’re both brave and stupid in our own special way,” Nanako lamented. “Am I wasting my time with him? Have I just pestered him into letting me hang around? Am I just useful to him because of my Personas?”

“No way,” Ann said firmly. “He cares a lot about you. You can tell from the way he looks at you, the way he talks about you, the way he defends you. I mean, think about everything that happened in Kamoshida’s palace. Would he do that for anyone?”

“Kinda, yeah. He’s dashing and clever and daring, but I think he’s also really kind at heart.”

“Hm, that’s true. Still, I think what you did for him was so loving. And not just in the romantic way, it’s just a really nice thing to do for someone else. You have like the biggest heart in the world, Nanako.”

“Thanks,” Nanako sighed. “So I should keep going?”

“I’m not exactly an expert on love or relationships,” Ann said. “But I think you should just be patient. Ren is…mm…when I look at him, I feel like he’s complicated. Like he has all these thoughts going on inside that he’s keeping secret from the rest of us. Maybe it just takes him longer to think through things like this.”

“Yeah. Maybe you’re right,” Nanako said. “Thanks, Ann. I really needed to talk to someone about this.”

“Hey, we’re friends, right? That’s what we do.”

Nanako leaned over and put her head on Ann’s shoulder.

“Hey, how’s Shiho?” Nanako asked.

“Doing okay. She’s getting stronger every day, and she’s able to stay awake a little longer each time too…I’m kinda worried about her, though. The doctor’s aren’t sure if she’ll ever be able to play volleyball competitively again. They’re not even sure if she’ll walk normally. She was really proud of her athletic abilities, and losing that…well…”

Ann trailed off and glanced over to her beside table. There was a picture of her and Shiho, leaning close to each other and both making silly faces with their tongues sticking out.

“I’m trying to be strong for her. It’s the only thing I can think of.”

“She’s lucky to have someone like you in her corner,” Nanako said.

 _Pi pi pi_. Nanako glanced at her phone.

“Oh no! It’s time for _Cake Guardians!_ ” Nanako yelled.

“Oh, I love that show! Let’s go watch it!”

They ran off to Ann’s couch.

=====  
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** The Star: Ann Takamaki  
Level 2


	132. 5/5 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves are formed.

The girls came from one direction.

The guys came from the other.

They met at the front door.

Ann wore an dark blue dress with an empire waist which was accented by a gold ribbon. The dress was sleeveless, but she wore a 3/4 sleeve black cardigan over it. She wore black tights and patent leather boots that gleamed.

It reminded Nanako a bit of Margaret.

Nanako wore a tunic-style dress - bright red, with a bold black belt and yellow flower on the hip. Her hair was let down and she had a black headband to keep her hair in place. To tie the whole look together, Ann had insisted on a very red lipstick.

The whole thing was an intentional strategy she and Ann had put together. Ann usually loved red, but decided to mute herself back so that Ren would know who exactly to look at all times. Nanako had thought it was an amazing and generous idea but…now that she was actually standing there…maybe it was all a little too much. Nanako felt like people kept looking at her, and she wasn’t used to that kind of attention. Nor did she really find she liked it all that much.

Ren looked good. He wore a white t-shirt, a black blazer, and a pair of jeans over brown boots. He casually held his bag over his shoulder, no doubt containing Morgana, and peered at the world through his glasses.

Ryuji was…there.

“Ryuji, I said to wear a jacket!” Ann scolded. Ryuji looked confused, holding the lapel of his purple Triple 7 work jacket.

“This _is_ a jacket, dummy.”

“That’s not what that means! Ugh, if we get thrown out of here because of you…”

“It’ll be fine,” Ren said to Ann. But then his attention was focused entirely on Nanako, who was doing her best to stand up straight and be poised.

“You look great,” Ren said in a low voice.

“So do you,” Nanako said.

“Did you bring me any Marukyu Tofu?”

“Haha, no.”

“Oh.”

“Come on guys, let’s go! I’m starving!” Ann said, motioning them along into the front doors of the Wilton Hotel. The group filed in, with Nanako taking the rear.

Had Ren seemed disappointed about the lack of tofu? It seemed like it to her. Why? Did he love tofu? No wait, Nanako had specifically asked Ren if he wanted any tofu from Marukyu and he said no.

Unless…he had said no, but really meant yes.

But really, tofu?

No, it wasn’t the tofu, Nanako realized. It could’ve been anything. Ren missed Inaba, and he had hoped deep down that Nanako would bring a piece back for him. And now she felt totally stupid. She had been so wrapped up in everything going on there that she hadn’t considered how her trip and return might affect Ren.

Ugh, rookie mistake!

She started to think through everything she had bought in Inaba, but it was all clothes. She didn’t think Ren would look that good in a crop top.

Though, maybe…

Ren and Ann took care of all the details of the buffet and before long they were seated.

“I can’t believe it! The Wilton Hotel Cake Buffet…I’ve heard so much about it. I even had a literal dream about it once. But I never thought I’d actually be here!” Ann said, practically vibrating in her seat.

“Did you see how much meat there was on that one table!? I’m going to eat until I have a heart attack.”

“Oh no! I forgot, there’s a time limit!” Ann said, standing quickly.

“For real!? Okay, Ren, Nanako, watch our stuff, we’ll be right back!”

“Hey, what about us!?” Morgana complained.

“We’ll grab you something!” Ann said as she rushed off.

Ren, Nanako, and Morgana sat there for a few moments.

Nanako giggled.

“Well…at least they’re having fun,” Nanako offered. Ren cracked a smile.

“Hard to believe they hardly knew each other a couple of weeks ago. They act like brother and sister,” Ren said. “Bickering one second, but on the exact same page the next.”

Another few moments of silence. Morgana sighed.

“Will you two just make up already? I don’t know what you did, but you clearly don’t want to be mad at each other anymore.”

Ren elbowed the bag. “I’m not mad at her.”

“I’m…” Nanako trailed off. She wasn’t sure how she felt about him at the moment.

“Phew, we made it!” Ryuji said, slamming two huge plates of food on the table. One seemed to be a platter of meat that would’ve put Chie in a happiness coma. The other was…beans?

“Here we go~!” Ann said, practically singing. She set down two plates of cake.

Ryuji and Ann’s forks flashed through the air.

“Oh my God, it’s meat heaven. A meat explosion. A three-ring circus of meat melting in my mouth,” Ryuji said, moaning. He took another bite. “I think I’m having a meatgasm.”

“The only reason I’m not killing you for saying ‘meatgasm’ is this cake has put me in a state of bliss,” Ann said, her voice smooth and even, her eyes shut.

“What about us!?” Morgana whined, peering his head out of the bag.

“Oh, right, I wasn’t sure what to get you, so I got you some beans.”

“Beans!?”

“And I got you a cake sampling too, Nanako.”

Ann pushed forward the other plate. It looked like literally every cake available on the buffet had been carefully arranged on the plate to make a beautiful pinwheel of pastry. The cakes were in the center, and the borders had all sorts of other fun desserts - mochi ice cream balls, Italian cannolis, several variations of cookies, and chocolate croissants.

“This is grotesque. Come on Ren, we’ll show them how to enjoy fine dining.”

Ren shrugged and hefted the Morgana bag onto his shoulder, departing for the buffet. Nanako studied the plate. She had wanted to try a variety of things, but…the cake did look really good.

“Is cake all you’re gonna eat…?” Nanako asked Ann.

“Yeah, why?”

“I don’t know. It feels wrong. Like I need a permission slip from my dad.”

“The quality is _amazing_. I don’t know when I’ll ever be able to eat cake like this again. I don’t want to die with any cake regrets,” Ann said. “But if you want to get something else, go for it.”

“I mean…the other food looks good, but I’m a pretty good cook, so I could make most of that stuff…these cakes require rare ingredients, specialized tools, and a lot of time I don’t have…soooo, really, if I wanted to maximize the experience, I should eat the foods that are the hardest to replicate. Therefore, eating all this cake is really the most efficient and ethical way to enjoy this experience,” Nanako declared.

“Nanako…” Ann was leaning on her elbow, her fork languidly swooping from one cake to another. Ann had her eyes half-closed, dreamily eating the sweets. Her model-quality lips had white frosting on the corners of her mouth. “Just eat the cake.”

Nanako ate the cake.

It was an amazing quality - similar to that of the strawberry cake that Haru had brought to their club meeting that one day. But…not _quite_ , if Nanako was being as accurate as possible. Yes, the ingredients and technique for these desserts were excellent, much better than anything Nanako could make herself, but these cakes were still mass-produced for all the customers they had to deal with. That strawberry cake felt like it was specially crafted for one singular event and a lot of care and attention had been put into it.

Still, Nanako was not regretting eating mostly cake. If there was room at the end, she’d go for the sushi. Making sushi at home was very difficult.

“Whoah, that’s a ton of food!” Ryuji said when Ren returned. Indeed, it did seem like Ren had gathered up a bit of everything, but the choicest pieces.

“See, this is how you eat,” Morgana said with his usual pride.

They ate.

“Mm…I’m stuffed,” Ann declared once all of her cake was vanquished. Nanako pushed hers forward too - though she hadn’t eaten every last sliver of cake like Ann had. Nanako had focused on eating the best portions of each dessert and leaving a little behind so that she might have enough room for sushi…though she wasn’t even sure that method was going to work.

“Dude, there’s still so much food left…” Ryuji said of Ren’s plate. Ryuji had already eaten his meat mountain.

“Why don’t you help him out?” Ann asked.

“Let’s all help.”

“No way, I can’t,” Ann said.

“I did want to try some sushi…” Nanako mentioned.

Ren pushed forward his plate so they all had better access. “All out attack!”

They ate more.

“Oof…why is there still more food…” Ryuji groaned.

“We can just leave it,” Nanako said. “There’s no reason to hurt ourselves.”

“Yeah, I think we have to know our limits,” Ren said.

“Ugh…I need a restroom…”

Ren sighed, but picked up Morgana and went with Ryuji.

“I’m so happy,” Ann said. “I know it’s dumb to say that about _cake_ , but…”

“It’s okay to be happy about little things,” Nanako said. “Sometimes it’s all we have…besides, we have a lot to celebrate. We won! It was a lot of hard work, but we won. We helped Shiho, we helped the whole school. We can be happy.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Ann said, her megawatt smile brighter than ever.

“Um, Ann, you have frosting…”

“Oh!” Ann grabbed a napkin.

“I think I want some tea. Come with?” Nanako asked.

“Sure.”

They got up and walked over to the drink table. Nanako poured herself a cup of soothing green tea to help her settle her stomach. Ann got a bottle of expensive water.

“Ack!”

An older woman in a nice business suit crashed right into Ann. Her plate went toppling over in a cascade of falling fish and salad greens.

“Oh, sorry,” Ann said.

“Why don’t you watch where you’re going!? Now I have to go back and get a whole other plate!”

“Hey, you bumped into me!” Ann snapped back. Nanako stepped forward.

“We’re very sorry, ma’am, can I help you clean this up?”

“Clean it up!? No, that’s what the _staff_ is for. And I don’t need help from brats like you anyway,” the woman said, turning away with a huff. Two staff members appeared to clean the floor, getting on their hands and knees.

“Ugh, how troublesome…”

“Who let these kids in here anyway?”

Ann glowered and stormed back to the table with Nanako close behind. Soon, the boys were back, and they looked in a foul mood, too.

“Asshole,” Ryuji muttered.

“What took you so long!?” Ann snapped.

“The hell are you so pissy for?” Ryuji said.

“Ugh, sorry, just this woman bumped into me and dropped her plate then blamed me for it.”

“She sounds like a bitch.”

“Yeah. Well. Thanks,” Ann said, feeling a little vindicated.

“Everything okay with you?” Nanako asked.

“Just some asshole throwing his weight around when we were coming back from the restroom. God, I can’t believe these people…they just whatever the hell they want…”

“Maybe we’re out of place here…” Ann said, looking suddenly incredibly self-conscious.

“We are,” Ren said, smiling. “That’s what I liked about your choice, Ann. It feels like we’re stealing something that isn’t ours.”

The thought seemed to cheer everyone up. Even Nanako couldn’t help but smile a little. It did feel like they were getting away with something.

“Hey…I just wanted to thank you two for everything,” Ren said. “Dealing with Kamoshida couldn’t have been done without either of you to help.”

Ryuji and Ann looked at each other, both seemed to be confused.

“What are you talking about, man? If anything, we should be thanking you.”

“Yeah, none of this was your problem, but you put yourself in it. Both of you did,” Ann said, looking to Nanako as well.

“If I had been expelled, it would’ve been a huge problem for me,” Ren pointed out.

“Me too,” Ryuji said. “Why are we arguing about who’s thanking who? It was a team effort.”

“Yeah. It was,” Ren said. He frowned, trying to wrestle the right words out.

“Why does it sound like you’re saying goodbye…?” Ann asked.

“I suppose we are. The job’s over,” Ren said.

“The hell?” Ryuji said. “I mean, yeah, we kicked Kamoshida’s ass, but there’s still a ton of shitty adults. We _just saw one_. I bet that asshole has a palace, we could change his tune real quick. Right, Morgana?”

“Well, yes, lots of people could have palaces.”

“So you guys are done?” Ann asked, trying to figure out what was going on. Nanako glanced at Ren. She could tell what he was working on - the same thing he tried to do to her. Trying to figure out how to convince them to go away, to live safer lives away from all the danger that seemed to be swirling around him.

“No,” Nanako interrupted. “Ren and I already decided that we’re going to keep going. But…we didn’t want to speak for you. It is dangerous, after all. We’ll have to fight more shadows. We could get hurt. We could die.”

“Yeah, but check this out,” Ryuji said, scrambling to get his phone out. “People are talking all about us.”

“The Phantom Aficionado Website?” Ann read. She continued to read the posts on the forum. “Thanks for giving me hope. Thank you for ending my pain…”

“There’s still a lot of wrongs to right in the world. And besides, the adults around here were mocking what we did with Kamoshida! They don’t believe it. I want to make them all believe,” Ryuji said.

“We gave other people hope…” Ann mused. “We gave them courage…the courage I didn’t have. And the courage Shiho needed. We can help people before they get to that dark place…”

“I’m not giving up,” Ryuji said.

“Neither am I,” Ann said.

“Nor I,” Nanako said, staring directly into Ren’s eyes. “And I think it’s time you stop asking us to leave you.”

It was a pointed moment. Yes, it was about Ryuji and Ann, but Nanako and Ren both knew it was mostly about her. Ren took off his glasses, looked her in the eye, and nodded.

The last bit of anger evaporated from Nanako’s heart.

“Then it’s official,” Morgana said. “We are an organization of thieves out to change the hearts of evil and explore the depths of Mementos!”

“We should have a name. I just used Phantom Thieves of Hearts before, but it can be whatever,” Ryuji said.

“I want it to be cute but luxurious…how about The Diamonds?”

“I’m getting a real little league baseball feel from that. What do you think, Ren?”

Ren glaned around the room.

“The Buffet Brats.”

“Veto,” Nanako said. “I actually like the Phantom Thieves of Heart, Ryuji. Besides, it’s already what people are calling us online and in the news.”

“Then the Phantom Thieves of Heart it is,” Morgana declared. “Now, we need a new target.”

“Something big. Something that will get everyone’s attention,” Ryuji said.

“But I don’t want to just go after someone at random. I want to make sure we do it justly and that we’ll help people. This isn’t for us, right?” Ann said.

“I like that. Maybe we have to decide unanimously?” Nanako suggested.

“Yes. We’re either all in, or none at all,” Ren said. “We’ll keep each other in line. We won’t become like those we’re trying to change.”

They paused as a staff member walked over and quietly informed them that their time was up. The Phantom Thieves rose as one and strode out into the hallway. Nanako couldn’t explain it exactly, but it felt like they walked differently out of that room.

When they were in the elevator, Nanako sidled up to Ren and rested her forehead on the back of his shoulder.

“Thanks,” she whispered.

He only nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I legit named my P5R team the Buffet Brats and it makes me laugh every time.


	133. 5/5- Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako lies on the couch.

“Hey, Nanako, Rise and I are going out to dinner. You want to come along?” Yu asked.

“Noooo…please, nooo…” Nanako’s voice came out as muffled groans as she lay face-down on the couch. “I never want to eat again…”

Yu and Rise glanced at each other and shrugged.

“Okay. Well, see ya later, Nanako-chan,” Rise said. They linked arms and left through the front door, leaving Nanako to wallow on the couch and watch the TV through one half-closed eye.

 _Pi pi pi_.

Nanako groaned again and flopped her hand around the floor, trying to find where she put her phone. Eventually her finger brushed against one smooth edge and she fumbled it around until she lifted it up to eye level.

 **SANO:** Hey, Dojima. I got something I think you’ll be interested in…  
 **SANO:** Swing by tomorrow if you’re free.

Nanako replied with a “K” and dropped the phone again.

_Pi pi pi._

Nanako found the phone a little faster this time.

 **AKI-SAN:** Nanako-san, are you able to take care of Mei on Friday?  
 **AKI-SAN:** I hate to ask so soon after the holiday.   
**NANAKO:** No problem, Aki-san. I’ll be there right after school.

She dropped the phone and shut her eyes again. Nanako figured she’d better start doing the job. After all, she’d spent a lot of money recently, and now that there was an official Phantom Thieves, the expenses weren’t going to drop off.

The Phantom Thieves of Heart.

She had set out to make a group of friends of her own. She had no idea it would be so picaresque.

“Are you comfortable?”

Nanako shot up. She realized immediately that she wasn’t in the apartment anymore. She was sitting on the ground in front of Margaret’s cell.

“Hey, I was trying to rest,” Nanako grumbled.

“You fell asleep on the couch, which is how I was able to summon you here. Don’t worry, you’ll be quite rested…I see your bonds have grown quite strong, and with it the strength of your own Wild Card power.”

“What does that mean?” Nanako asked.

“It means that you’re going to gain further and further access to the Personas in the Compendium. It would do you well to study them carefully. There isn’t anything I can do now to fuse them or strengthen their power, but your brother did a good job the first time around. His Compendium was quite thorough.”

“So you don’t mind me continuing this work? To keep changing people’s hearts?”

“Even if I did mind, it’s not my place to pass judgment. I am simply an attendant. But if you want to know what I think…well, I’m rather impressed by you.”

“Thank you,” Nanako said, and meant it. She wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was because Margaret knew about her big bro’s story. She had the perspective to know whether or not Nanako was doing well.

“A thief who seeks out justice…” Margaret mused.

“Quite a contradiction,” Nanako cut in. “But I’m starting to manage it.”

Margaret smiled.

“Sleep well, Justice of Fools.”

======  
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** Judgment: The Phantom Thieves of Heart  
Rank 1


	134. 5/6 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako goes to PE.

The whispers were rampant.

“Why are we here?”

“Man, I thought they’d give us some study hall time. Exams are next week!”

“Who do you think they convinced to do this? Kawakami-sensei?”

“No way, she already looks so tired, there’s no way she could lead PE.”

Nanako, Ren, and Ann stood around the gym with the rest of their class waiting for PE to start. Nanako was just as surprised as anyone else that they hadn’t cancelled PE. That morning’s news had confirmed that Kamoshida had been formally charged and arrested and was being held without bail. A few more students had been interviewed. Principal Kobayakawa had made a very brief appearance to say that investigations were on-going, that he nor anyone else at the school knew what was happening, and so forth.

Nanako figured that the very last thing the school wanted was to bring attention to any part of PE. Why not just cancel it, give them time to study for exams, and make people happy?

“Hello class,” a voice called out. The gym door slammed shut behind the teacher with a resounding boom. “Please line up. I’ll be taking attendance, so when I call your name please say ‘here.’”

Nanako realized her jaw was dropped wide open. She forced her mouth shut and glanced at Ren. Ren looked impassive as ever, his posture modified down into his unassuming slouch, his glasses obscuring his eyes. But even through all that, Nanako could see he was just as surprised as she was.

“Oh, right, sorry, forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yosuke Hanamura, and I’m going to be filling in as your PE teacher.”

He smiled. He wore a bright red Shujin Academy jacket, white t-shirt, and black track pants over some sneakers. He held a clipboard and went to work taking attendance, checking off names as he did.

“Dojima?”

“H-here,” Nanako said, surprised at her own meekness. Yosuke didn’t look up or seem to acknowledge her any differently, just kept moving on to the next name.

“Well, let’s not dance around the elephant in the room,” Yosuke said, holding his clipboard at his hip. “What your previous PE teacher did was pretty horrible, and I’m glad he’s going to be facing justice. You might be feeling and thinking a lot of conflicting things, so if you need to excuse yourself to go talk to the school counselor, you can go at any time during this class - today, or any other day.”

“Additionally, I don’t know how he ran PE, but here we are focusing on getting some exercise and having a little fun. You spend a lot of hours sitting and studying, but our minds work better when our bodies work better. So for today, just break up into some groups and play around with the basketballs. You can start a little game if you want or just shoot for fun. The only requirement is you need to move around. If you don’t want to play basketball, you can walk laps around the court. And if you have any other questions, feel free and stop by and introduce yourself.”

Yosuke blew on the whistle. Students dispersed, whispering amongst themselves.

“Whoah, this guy is super nice, where’d they find him?”

“Hah, they had to find the nicest guy to take over for Kamoshida. School is probably panicking right now and trying to get on everyone’s good side.”

“Do you think he’s going to take over for the volleyball team?”

Nanako waited in place. Most of the boys ran off to start playing basketball, while most of the girls went off to walk laps. Ann and Ren grabbed a ball and an empty hoop and started idly shooting back and forth, both of them keeping an eye on Nanako. She saw Ren whisper something to Ann, who then nodded.

Finally, Yosuke was alone.

“What the heck are you doing here!?” Nanako hissed.

“It’s nice to see you too, Nanako-chan. Why yes, I did find a good place to live, thank you for asking. No, it’s not strange to be back in the city after all those years in Inaba, I find myself quite at home,” Yosuke replied to the imaginary questions, his answers dripping with sarcasm.

“Seriously, did my dad send you here to spy on me?” Nanako demanded .

“Haha, no way! Doijma-san isn’t like that! You remember when you asked me to write that letter of recommendation for you when you wanted to transfer? Well, it turns out that I know one of the people on the school board from back in my university days. He saw my name and remembered it and when they needed someone to fill-in quickly, they called me up. I moved over Golden Week.”

“But what about Yasogami High?”

“They’re fine, they found a substitute. I don’t think I’ll be here that long - I’m just filling in until they can find a suitable replacement for Kamoshida.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“You don’t seem happy to see me,” Yosuke noted.

Nanako frowned. How did she feel about this? There was some element of suspicion running in the back of her head, but it didn’t have anything to do with her dad. Even as she had accused him of sending Yosuke, she had known it wasn’t true. But it seemed too unlikely that Yosuke would randomly appear at her school. Of all the teachers in Japan, was he really the only one that could step in?

Did Naoto send him?

That was an interesting idea, but one she would have to ponder for a while. For the moment, she took a quick inventory on how she felt about Yosuke being there and came to a conclusion.

“I’m actually glad you’re here,” she said, letting out a breath. “Just…don’t embarrass me, okay?”

“Did I ever back in Inaba?”

“No,” Nanako said. “That’s true. Sorry, I just…”

“I get it,” Yosuke said. “Now stop hanging out with your teacher and go.”

Nanako nodded and walked back to Ren and Ann. Ann threw the ball. It struck the front of the rim and bounced right back into her hands.

“Stupid ball…”

“What’s Hanamura-sensei doing here?” Ren asked.

“He said he was asked to fill in. I guess he knows someone on the school board.”

“Do you believe him?”

“No. But I can’t think of why he’d actually be here.”

“Is he a danger to us?” Ann asked.

“Oh, no, not at all! Whatever reason he’s here, he’ll be on our side. He’s a good friend,” Nanako said. Ann shrugged.

“Great, then it doesn’t seem like we need to worry about him. The cops, on the other hand…”

“What cops?” Nanako asked.

“There are detectives asking questions around the school today,” Ren said. “They’re trying to keep a low profile, but word has spread quickly.”

“Then we need to try and act as normal as possible for the next few days,” Nanako said.

She glanced at Yosuke, who was now shooting a few baskets with a group of boys.

Maybe Yosuke’s goofy sunshine personality was exactly what Shujin Academy needed right now.

=====

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The Moon: Yosuke Hanamura  
Level 1


	135. 5/6 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako gets a hat.

_Pi pi pi_.

 **RYUJI:** I can’t figure out who our next target should be. I did a buncha research online, but nothing yet.  
 **ANN:** I’ll look online too.   
**NANAKO:** That’s not a bad idea, but don’t forget we have exams next week!   
**NANAKO:** Have you guys been studying?  
 **RYUJI:** Aw, come on! Why do you always bring that up?   
**REN:** We need to blend in for now. Too many people investigating Kamoshida.   
**ANN:** Ren’s right. We should probably study…but I hate it…  
 **NANAKO:** You can do it, I believe in you! I’m tutoring Ryuji this week if anyone wants to come.  
 **ANN:** I’ll go too.   
**REN:** Let me know the time.

Nanako slipped her phone away and looked out the window of the train as she rode the line down to Ueno, to Sano’s shop. She too had been contemplating the next target for the Phantom Thieves, and as usual had started a list. She unsnapped the Compendium and reached into the cover to pull out the piece of paper she had started her list on. She couldn’t leave an incriminating list like this just lying around, so she had hoped that by hiding it in the Compendium, which made itself unimportant to everyone else, that it might keep it safe.

She unfolded the list and read it.

Option 1: Chie?

Not that Chie was the option, but Chie could be a source of information. As a police officer, she would know if there were any heavily ingrained criminals within Tokyo that they might be able to get. Dad had even said that there were times in Inaba where there were known criminals who had too many connections or were too clever to get caught. Heck, most of the yakuza operated that way. But people like that probably wouldn’t be well-known to the public, so she would have to get some inside information.

Really the person she would get the best information from was Naoto, but that was way too risky…

Option 2: Rise and Yu.

The stories Rise had told about the idol industry could be outright horrific. Fortunately nothing like that had ever happened to her, and Rise had always been clever enough to avoid bad managers and keep her career on track. But there had to be plenty of pretty and talented girls who were being taken advantage of. Nanako could start by reading all of big bro’s old idol articles and finding common names and themes. Then all she would have to do was ask Rise the right questions.

Option 3: Kunikazu Okumura.

This one was a stretch, Nanako knew that. Maybe it was just her disdain for Crawbucks sludge-coffee, or just the stories she’d read about the poor working conditions, but the idea of taking down the heartless CEO of a mega-corporation really resonated with Nanako. But, she had to admit that she would need to do a _lot_ of research before she put that name forward. Just because there were rumors in the news about the poor working conditions didn’t mean they were true.

Bad coffee wasn’t enough of a reason to change someone’s heart.

She folded the list and sipped it back into the cover of the Compendium, then got off the train. She walked down to Sano’s family shop, where he was busy at work sewing a pair of fine leather shoes together.

“Hey hey, Dojima! You made it! You’re gonna be so excited for this,” Sano said. He set his tools down on his work bench and ran off to a back room. Nanako smirked, bemused.

“I am? I don’t remember ordering anything from you,” Nanako said.

“You didn’t, but this isn’t even leather,” Sano called out. “Okay, close your eyes and hold out your hands.”

“You’re assuming I trust you that much, huh?”

“Come on, just do it,” Sano called. Nanako smiled and shut her eyes, holding both hands out in front of her, palms up. She felt a soft object land in her palms. She opened her eyes.

It was a baseball cap.

The cap was green with a white front. The front had a strange black symbol on the front that looked like if a shepherd’s crook was made out of a lightning bolt.

“It’s perfect, right?!” Sano said, his eyes wide with excitement.

“Um…perfect for…?”

Sano crossed his arms and shook his head. “Now, now, Dojima.I know you guys were trying to be secretive about your cosplay, but once Takamaki ordered the whip, I figured it out.”

“R-really?” Nanako stammered.

“Yep! See?”

Sano reached underneath the counter then slapped down a manga.

“Gotcha!”

Nanako picked it up.

The cover said “Library Chicks.” On the left was a girl wearing very short jean shorts and a thigh-holster, just like the one Nanako had. She also wore black boots and a black tanktop with green letters that looked like they had been hastily spray-painted on with the word “READ” in English. Over the tanktop, the girl wore a brown leather jacket. The girl also had a leather bookstrap, just like the one Nanako used for the Compendium, and wore the same baseball cap that was now in her hands, with her hair being pulled in a ponytail through the back. She also wore reflective aviator sunglasses.

On the right was another girl. This one was wearing cowboy boots and long jeans and what could only be described as a leather corset for a top - the garment pressing her body into a sexy hourglass shape. This girl’s arms were bare save for a tattoo on her left arm that had the same symbol as the hat. She also wore a dark brown fedora and carried a whip. She was very much a “sexy Indiana Jones.”

“Ah…hahaha…yeah…you got me…” Nanako said. She felt sweat forming on her forehead.

“This is so cool! Nobody ever cosplays Library Chicks. Probably because it has too many leather pieces. This is definitely the best option to showcase my talent! I can’t believe you guys didn’t tell me before.”

“Well…you know…nobody’s ever done it so we were nervous…”

“I understand. But I can do it! It’s all about keeping the leather supple enough to move in but strong enough to hold its shape. It’s definitely going to be a challenge, but I’m up for it! In fact, I’ll start on the jacket today if you want. And because I’m so excited about it, I’ll even give you guys a discount!”

“Sure, that’ll be great,” Nanako said, forcing her smile to stay as bright as possible.

“…Hey, is Takamaki really gonna wear that corset?”

“Y-yep. She sure is,” Nanako said through her smile.

“Wow. Well, she’s gonna make a great Sora-chan. Thanks for letting me be a part of this, Dojima.”

“Sure thing…wouldn’t have it any other way…hey uh, is this a new issue?” Nanako asked of the manga.

“Yeah, the latest one. You wanna borrow it?”

“Please?”

“Go for it. It’s a good one.”

Nanako slipped the manga into her bag.

“Well, I gotta get going. Thanks for showing me this. How much do I owe you for the cap?”

“Nothing, it’s on the house. Think of it as an apology for finding out your secret.”

Sano smiled. For a moment, Nanako’s heart skipped a beat. He was quite good looking when he was fired up like this - especially with his strong arms and his leather smell. Nanako shook it off.

“See ya later, Sano.”

“Bye, Kira-chan.”

Nanako smiled again and head out. Kira-chan must be the name of her character.

The character she was going to cosplay.

With Ann.

Nanako winced.

Maybe she’d wait a while before she told Ann about Sora-chan and her outfit…

======

 **SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
** Strength: Satoishi Sano   
Level 3


	136. 5/6 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako goes to the gym.

“Waaa-tah~!”

The foot impacted against the punching bag with a resounding thwack.

“Waa…tah…”

The second foot was more a gentle nudge. Nanako lowered her leg from the kick and stumbled back onto the mat, landing inelegantly on her butt. She was panting and sweating. Chie turned around.

“You okay, Nanako-chan?”

“Yeah…just…more out of shape…than I thought…” Nanako said between gasps. Chie chuckled and lowered her hand. Nanako grabbed it, and Chie hefted her up easily.

“Let’s take a break,” Chie said, guiding Nanako back to the bench with their stuff. They were once again at Tartarus Gym after Chie had texted Nanako and asked if she wanted to keep up their training. Unfortunately, despite all her Phantom Thief activity, Nanako’s physical shape was still nowhere near the level of Chie’s.

“How’s Inaba?”

“About the same,” Nanako said, slurping her water. “Yukiko told me about the inn expansion. Sounds like a lot.”

“Yeah. I hope she does it though, I think she can pull it off. I keep telling her to do it. Also, I just want to see her more,” Chie admitted.

“Kanji has a new social media expert. He’s uh…interesting,” Nanako said.

“Kind of a tryhard?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Nanako said. Chie rolled her eyes.

“Well, I’m sure Kanji isn’t going to put up with it for very long. I’m sure he’ll lose his patience and throw him out - literally.”

They laughed at that.

“It’s weird that Yosuke’s here, though,” Nanako mentioned.

Chie did a spit take with her water.

“What!?”

“You…didn’t know?” Nanako said, her attention suddenly focusing in. Now this was an interesting development.

“What do you mean he’s here?” Chie demanded, looking around the gym.

“No, not here, I just mean in Tokyo. He started working at my school today.”

“For real!? Doing what?”

“Filling in for the PE teacher,” Nanako said.

“PE!? What the hell is he doing!? Grr, that jerk, why would he move to Tokyo and not tell me? What an idiot, I can’t believe he’s still so insensitive after all these years,” Chie grumbled. She dug into her bag and looked for her phone and started furiously tapping on the screen with her thumbs.

“Having boy troubles?” a deep, mellow voice interrupted. Chie yelped and tossed her phone into the air as an instinct. Nanako froze, her body unsure of how to act, watching as the green cased phone flipped end over end in the air. There was already a crack in the screen - Nanako was sure it wasn’t going to survive another impact.

A hand snapped it out of the air.

Nanako looked at the guy. The first word that leapt to her mind was hunky. He was wearing shorts and a red tight fitting long-sleeved training shirt. Very tight. As in, Nanako could see every rippling muscle, of which there were many. He had platinum colored hair and a calm aura. He looked like some sort of sexy angel.

“Hahaha, hey, Sanada!” Chie said, her cheeks burning bright tomato red. “No, no, not at all. He’s definitely not a boy. Well, you know, that in that way. He’s just an idiot friend. No boyfriend here. Just me, single as can be.”

The guy, Sanada, smiled and handed her the phone back.

“I’m Nanako Dojima,” Nanako offered, giving a polite bow. “Chie was just showing me some amazing kung fu moves.”

“Akihiko Sanada,” he replied. “Good to meet you. But she’s really trying to sell you on kung fu, eh? I guess it’s all right.”

“All right?” Chie said with a mixture of what Nanako thought might be flirting and genuine anger. She put her phone away and stood, setting her hands on her hips. “Kung fu is the birthplace of all martial arts! It’s over 4,000 years old!”

“Yeah, but it’s inefficient,” Akihiko said. He dropped into a low boxing stance and began peppering the air with extremely rapid strikes. “Boxing is called the sweet science for a reason. It’s efficient, practical, and a far superior workout. Not to mention much more effective in self-defense.”

“Uh huh, sure, way more effective in self-defense if you’re fighting someone in a ring with a ref. Kung fu is wordly and experienced, capable of handling anything you throw at it.”

“Mm. Not unlike you, eh Satonaka?” Akihiko said with a flirtatious grin.

Chie blushed brighter.

“You know, Chie is an amazing fighter and investigator,” Nanako said, trying to launch into wing-woman mode. “She saved my life when I was a kid. I was kidnapped and she helped find me.”

“Really?” Akihiko said, looking impressed. “Then you truly are a marvel. Which is why I hate to do this, but…can I ask you for a favor?”

“Sure,” Chie said. The two of them took a few steps away from Nanako and began speaking in a low voice. Nanako couldn’t hear exactly what was being said. She guessed that Sanada was a cop too - why else would Chie know him? Additionally, cops just had a thing about them that Nanako had learned to recognize over the years. So they were probably talking cop-stuff.

Nanako thought about Chie’s reaction to Yosuke. She really hadn’t known - Chie was in no way that good of an actor. If that was the case, was Yosuke telling the truth? Was he really just randomly moving to Tokyo to help out an old friend in a tight spot?

Her gut kept telling her that it wasn’t the case. Which meant that if someone else was helping Yosuke move along, then they had left Chie out of the loop.

Naoto?

Yu?

Both could do it. They were clever enough. But why not include Chie? Chie would find out eventually, no doubt.

Maybe this was the reaction they wanted, though. Maybe they knew Nanako would tell Chie, Chie would act this way, and throw Nanako off the trail.

But that couldn’t be right. Naoto was brilliant, but she couldn’t predict the future. Nanako decided she’d have to look into it more with a few careful questions.

Akihiko and Chie finished their talk and came over to Nanako again.

“Hey, why don’t you take one of these?” Akihiko said, handing her a card. “Free membership. Come by whenever you want.”

“Um, thanks! But is that really okay?”

“He owns the place,” Chie explained.

“Half-owns it. You want to buy half a gym, Dojima-san?”

“Don’t do it, Nanako, he’s a snake in the grass,” Chie said, sticking her tongue out at him. Akihiko laughed.

“Thanks again, Satonaka.” He turned and headed towards the locker room. Nanako jabbed Chie in the side with her elbow.

“What?” Chie whispered.

“Do something! Say something cool and flirty!” Nanako whispered back. Chie looked panicked but managed to call out.

“Hey!”

Akihiko turned around.

“You can call me C-Chie,” Chie said.

Akihiko lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Okay. Then call me Akihiko.”

“S-sure, A-akihiko.”

When he was gone, Chie jabbed Nanako with her elbow.

“What did you make me do that for!?”

“What, you just needed a push! You wanted to do that, admit it.”

“I did not!”

“He’s hot, Chie. Congratulations!” Nanako said.

“It’s nothing yet, stop it.”

“Yet?”

“Ugh! Why are you teasing me, stop it! I’m supposed to tease you!”

The two of them toweled off and headed to the front door themselves. Chie walked Nanako to her train station.

“What favor did he want?”

“Hm? Oh. Work stuff. Akihiko’s working on a big case and he needs me to cover some other stuff,” Chie sighed.

“You don’t want to?”

“Oh, I definitely want to! It’s just…now I’ve got the special investigation team, covering some of Akhiko’s work, and on top of all of that the chief just assigned me to a bunch of pointless security details.”

“Why?”

“To punish me for doing a cool move…sigh. I’m going to be working non-stop forever…”

Nanako pat her on the shoulder.

“Well, at least Akihiko will owe you, right? I bet that gym has a nice hot shower and a massage table. He can melt all your cares away~”

“Stop, Nanako!”

======

 **SOCIAL LINK RANK UP**  
The Sun: Chie Satonaka  
Level 1


	137. 5/7 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako reads.

“Have you all seen the advertisements around the city? In about a week, the great Japanese artist Ichiryusai Madarame is going to have an exhibit, right here in the city,” Inui-sensei said from the front of the classroom.

“They say that he’s the epitome of the modern Japanese artist, the artist who defines how present day Japan is depicted throughout the world. Japan has often had a hard time establishing its definitive artistic styles because of the upheaval in our history. For example, the Meiji Restoration redefined Japanese style irrevocably. The end of World War II did the same. In fact, one of Japan’s most famous musical styles is actually a modern creation. Do you know what it is…Dojima-san?”

Nanako looked up from her desk, panicked. She had been trying to sneak a few pages of “Library Chicks”, which was a manga apparently about two women living in a post-apocalyptic world crusading around trying to save all of the knowledge from civilization. It was more engaging than Nanako wanted to admit, and now she was drawing a complete blank about Japanese musical styles.

“Coughko,” Ren coughed into his hand. Nanako frowned and looked at the back of his head. “Tai-cough,” he coughed again.

“He’s saying ‘taiko,’” Morgana explained from inside his desk perch.

“Taiko drumming,” Nanako said quickly. Inui-sensei looked impressed.

“Ah, very good Dojima-san. While Taiko drums themselves are a very ancient invention, the taiko drum performances you see today were actually invented in the 1950s by jazz drummer Daihachi Oguchi.”

The class murmured impressed.

“Thanks,” she whispered ahead of her.

Ren adjusted his glasses.


	138. 5/7 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako ambushes.

Today was the day that Nanako would spend her first day looking after Mei.

She left immediately after school to get onto the train that would take her into Mei’s very wealthy neighborhood. While she rode, she rifled through her bag, checking her study schedule, checking messages on her phone, and updating herself on the latest news.

A flash of red, black, and white drew her attention.

Sitting on the opposite end of the train car was another Shujin student. Like Nanako, she chose the suspender look to attach to her plaid skirt. She had long black hair and red-rimmed glasses. She had a notebook open and was scribbling away on it furiously.

 _Pi pi pi_.

It was just Yu asking what dinner plans were. Nanako texted back that she should be home in time to make dinner for everyone. Just as she finished, the train announced her stop. Nanako gathered everything up and left the train. The walk was a bit longer than getting driven by private car, but it was actually fun to walk through the wealthy neighborhood and admire the beautiful houses and the well-cared for trees and street lights.

Nanako turned up some pedestrian stairs that would take her up the hill when she saw something out of the corner of her eye again - another flash of red and white. The girl from the train had disembarked and was walking along the same path Nanako had taken.

Weird.

Nanako ignored it and climbed the stairs, which seemed just a bit harder to do thanks to all of Chie’s training. Her legs were a bit sore, so she stopped at the top of the stairs to take a rest.

The girl was climbing the stairs.

Something sunk in Nanako’s belly. This girl was following her, wasn’t she? She wasn’t sure why, but a hundred thoughts hit her at once. Did Kamoshida have loyal followers that were looking for revenge? No, that wouldn’t make sense, nobody knew Nanako had anything to do with it.

But Ren and Ryuji’s names were strongly attached to the rumors about Kamoshida and his sudden change of heart. Ann too, though opinion was mixed about her since Kamoshida had called her out as a victim. But if people were suspicious of Ren, it wouldn’t be a far jump for people to be suspicious of her. Ren might be notorious, but Nanako was always hanging around him.

Nanako found the energy to move and started down the street a bit faster. The street ahead curved gently to the left, which would then get to another uphill street that would lead directly to Aki-san’s house. Nanako kept her gaze straight ahead, studying the path. There were no houses on the last hill, just grass, which meant that if this girl was going to physically attack her, that would be the place to do it. Even if she screamed, fought back, and made a fuss, Nanako could get seriously hurt before help arrived.

Right now, though, there were plenty of houses, several with their own private walkways.

She had to make a decision.

Confront the girl here, or risk trying to get to Aki-san’s before she caught up.

Nanako wasn’t sure she could outrun the girl, considering her weakened state. She’d have to try the ambush approach.

It was more Phantom Thief-y of her to do that, anyway.

Nanako turned abruptly and slipped down one of the walkways, turning out of sight. She leaned against the wall, waiting as she listened to the steady footsteps of the girl getting closer and closer.

What would Ren do in this situation?

Nanako waited.

The girl passed the corner without noticing Nanako. Nanako took a step into the street and silently got as close as she could to the girl’s back.

“Why are you following me?” Nanako asked.

The girl yelped and spun, causing her to trip. She fell backwards and landed on her butt while her notebook scattered onto the ground, along with her glasses.

“W-what? I’m not following you! I live here!” The girl shot back.

“You…you do?” Nanako asked. “In this house?”

“No, that one! Not that it’s any of your business.”

The girl pointed up at Aki-san’s house as she picked herself up and gathered her glasses and notebook. Nanako tensed, adjusting her grip on the Compendium in case she needed to use it as a weapon.

“You don’t live there. There’s only one daughter there, and she’s a lot younger than you are,” Nanako said accusingly. The girl finished putting on her glasses.

“What…? Oh wait, you’re Dojima. The new girl who hangs out with Amamiya…are you really crazy? Are you going to cut me with a knife?”

“W-what? No, you’re the one following me! I work at that house!”

“You do? Doing what?”

“I watch over the little girl there,” Nanako said, defensively. The other girl knit her brows together in thought.

“Oh, I see. You’re the new girl watching Mei.”

“Yeah,” Nanako said. The edge of her paranoia was starting to wear off now and being rapidly replaced by embarrassment. “Wait, you’re Mei’s sister?”

“Step,” the girl said. “I’m Yuzu Noriyaki.”

“Nanako Dojima,” Nanako said with the most formal of bows. “But I guess you knew that.”

“It’s my job to know. I’m the newspaper club president,” Noriyaki said, adjusting her glasses.

“I’m very sorry about scaring you. I guess I was just nervous.”

Noriyaki sighed. “Well, I guess I can’t blame a girl for being too careful. Come on, let’s go.”

Noriyaki started up the hill. Nanako rushed to walk alongside her, though Noriyaki didn’t seem that ethused about having a walking partner. Still, the silence was very uncomfortable, and Nanako’s compulsion to be friendly to everyone spurred her mouth.

“So…your mom is married Aki-san?”

“Yes.”

“Do you and Mei get along?”

“Not at all. That’s why you’re taking care of her instead of me. I want nothing to do with either of them,” Norikyaki replied. “And to be honest, I’m not sure why I’m telling you this.”

“Well, uh…you could ask me questions if you want? You’re the newspaper club president, after all.”

“Did Amamiya do something to Kamoshida?”

“What do you mean?” Nanako said without a second of hesitation. She had been expecting that. Norikyaki looked at Nanako.

“Nevermind.”

“Is the newspaper club busy?” Nanako asked.

“I’m the only member. All of the others graduated last year, and I couldn’t recruit anyone.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“It happens. Why are you so chatty and sweet?”

“I um…I don’t know,” Nanako said.

“Hm. You’re nothing like the rumors say. You remind me of Okumura.”

Nanako frowned. “Okumura?”

“Yeah, you know. Haru Okumura.”

A hundred questions rushed to Nanako’s head but were cut off by Norikyaki opening the front door to the house. Nanako hadn’t even realized they’d arrived.

“Well, see ya around, Dojima,” Norikyaki said as she removed her shoes and strode inside.

“Yeah…bye…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for some BEHIND THE SCENES ACTION! 
> 
> So I originally wrote that I had to have 3 OCs to fill my missing Social Link Arcanas. But, because I am easily distracted, I didn't realize that I never gave an Arcana for Rise! So I had to go back and move a few around (Akechi went from Hanged Man to Jester, Kanji moved from Magician to Hanged Man, and Rise got Magician.) 
> 
> That meant that I only needed 2. I had already made Sano, so I wanted to continue in the Persona tradition of having at least one little kid SL. Priestess was the only Arcana I had left to fill, so I made Mei.
> 
> But then I was playing P5R. The first couple times I played P5, I didn't actually go around and talk to people at the school after the initial Kamoshida investigations, so I didn't realize there were all these side stories going on! I thought the Newspaper Girl was really interesting and immediately wished she had been an SL, but I had LITERALLY just written the Mei posts. 
> 
> Soooo I glued them together. Hooray! 
> 
> Anyway, that's your behind the scenes peak for today.


	139. 5/7 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako plays again.

Yuzu Norikyaki was gone before Nanako had finished taking off her shoes, already vanishing into the depths of the large house.

What a strange girl, Nanako thought. But she wasn’t being paid to worry about her, so she put it out of mind. Instead she walked into the house until she reached the main living room, where she had first met Mei. The flowing sound of classical piano echoed through the hallway. Mei was playing a very quick pieces, hitting the keys with virtuoso precision. Nanako recognized the piece - Stravinksy  Trois mouvements de Petrouchka pour piano , movement I,  Danse russe . 

It was a hard piece and impressive, even though Nanako could hear the mistakes Mei was making. But even when the girl made a mistake, she would stop, take a moment, then slowly work through the issue. 

Nanako stood in the room for a few moments and watched her play. Mei continued working on the piece until she noticed Nanako, at which she abruptly stopped. 

“You can keep practicing if you want,” Nanako said.

“No, thank you,” Mei said, immediately folding the grand piano lid shut on the keys. “I’m glad you’re here. I want to ask you a question.” 

“Oh, well sure thing, Mei-chan.” 

Nanako watched as Mei sat down at a dining table. It sleek and black, much like the grand piano. Nanako took a seat at the other end of it. Despite the fact that the girl was nine, Nanako felt a sudden nervousness, as if she were about to be interviewed for a job. Or interrogated at a police station. 

“How did you do it?” Mei asked. Nanako folded her hands in her lap. 

“Do what?” 

“Play like you did. How did you do it?” 

“I…just played?” Nanako said. “Surely you’ve played  Moonlight Sonata before?” 

“I have. But not like that.” 

“I didn’t think it was anything special,” Nanako said. 

“That would depend on how you define special,” Mei said. “It wouldn’t earn you a concerto or a recital hall. But there was something about how you played that I haven’t been able to replicate.” 

“You really enjoy the piano, huh?” 

“Yes. I plan on becoming the greatest pianist in all of Japan,” Mei said. She spoke with an even conviction that made Nanako believe that she might actually do it someday. “But now matter how many times I try, I haven’t been able to play the piece the same way you did.” 

“Well, we are different people,” Nanako pointed out. “Nobody is ever going to play the same piece the same way.” 

“That’s not what I mean,” Mei said, starting to sound noticeably irritated.

“Then what do you mean?” 

“I don’t know!” 

Mei shut her eyes and took a deep breath, regaining her composure. 

“Perhaps there was something in your training. Where did you learn?” 

“In my hometown of Inaba. There’s a little piano school there with three teachers. I started when I was seven and I took lessons there until last year.” 

“And you came to Tokyo to find better teachers?” 

“Haha, no, I don’t have any goals of professional piano playing. I stopped last year when I started high school. I wanted to focus more on my grades and preparing for university.” 

“I see. Understandable. Why did you start playing piano in the first place?” 

“My mom, I suppose. She used to be a teacher at the same little piano school in Inaba. I thought it would be a nice way to connect better with her. I also really enjoy classical piano music, and I do miss playing it now and again. I don’t have a piano where I live right now.” 

Mei took this in quietly, nodding slowly as if she were putting all this information together into some sort of conclusion. 

“Would you play for me again?” Mei asked. 

“Um, I guess so? Are you sure you don’t want to do something more fun? I brought all my Detective Loveline DVDs, I loved that show when I was your age-”

“Play. If you please. Anything you want.” 

Nanako shrugged and stood up and walked over to the piano. She adjusted the bench, spread her skirt so she could sit on properly, and lifted the key cover. Nanako stretched her fingers and played some scales and arpeggios to warm up. Some of it was coming straight back to her, much like the day she had earned her job with Mei. But there were other parts of her that ached, especially in the muscles in her forearms which had grown weak. Piano playing strengthened muscles that most people didn’t even know they had. 

“Anything?” Nanako asked.

“Yes. Anything.” 

Nanako shrugged again and thought. She had memorized a lot of pieces over the years, but she wasn’t probably ready to do anything particularly technical. She could always fall on Beethoven, which was probably still her favorite piano composer. That or Chopin. She could never make up her mind about it. 

She started to play  Fur Elise . 

Again, this was something that Mei had no doubt played. It was famous, gentle, beautiful, and not particularly difficult technically. She played through the very famous opening and her mind started to drift. 

Fur Elise  had a dark elegance that brought to mind Nanako in a ball gown - ice blue with sparkles dripping across the skirt, the back of the dress plunging down to reveal her back, and with long elegant gloves that went to her elbows. In her mind, Ren danced with her, dressed in a formal version of his Joker outfit, his heavy coat being replaced with dashing cape. 

“There! Stop!” 

Nanako stopped.

“That. How did you do that?” 

Nanako shrugged. “I…really don’t know what you’re talking about, Mei-chan. I’m sorry. I just played.” 

“There has to be something. At first it was mediocre at best and then…something changed. Something…moved me.” 

“I mean I was…thinking about something…” Nanako said, feeling suddenly embarrassed. 

“What?” 

“Well. I was thinking about how it felt and about people who made me feel the same way.” 

“I don’t understand,” Mei said. 

“Um. Well. I don’t know how else to explain it. I’ll think about it though, maybe I can make it clearer.” 

“I would appreciate that,” Mei said. 

The conversation stopped as Noriyaki entered the room. She had changed out of her uniform into a pair of sweatpants and a lounge shirt. She walked into the kitchen, grabbed a few items from the fridge, then walked out again. She didn’t look at either of them. 

“Mei-chan, do you get along with your sister?” Nanako asked. 

“No. She wants nothing to do with me,” Mei said flatly. 

“That’s pretty harsh of her.” 

“I don’t blame her,” Mei said. “My father is a dithering buffoon and an embarrassment. I am his daughter, and thus an extension of him.” 

“She shouldn’t be so harsh to him either.” 

“I don’t want anything to do with my father, either. I can’t fault her for wanting the same. Do you understand the situation now, Nanako-san?” 

“I think so,” Nanako said. It was sad to see a family at such odds with each other, especially since Aki-san seemed like such a kind and caring father. 

“It will do you no good to try and change it,” Mei stated. “Please don’t overstep your bounds if you wish to keep this job.” 

“I understand,” Nanako said. And then a flash of inspiration struck. “You know, one of the things that helps my piano playing is having a strong visual imagination. Do you watch much television?” 

“No,” Mei said. 

“Perhaps that’s where you need some improvement. These DVDs I have can expand your visual imagination. Maybe that’s my secret.” 

“Hm. I understand. Very well, let us view this…Detective Loveline?” 

“You’re gonna love it!” Nanako said. The two of them walked towards the living room and the massive TV on the wall.

Around the corner, Noriyaki stood with her snacks in her hand, listening in. She nodded to herself, then slipped quietly away back to her room. 

=====

SOCIAL LINK RANK UP   
Priestess:  Mei and Yuzu  
Level 2


	140. 5/7 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako studies.

Despite of, or maybe because of, all of her chastising of Ryuji, Nanako spent the evening at the kitchen table studying. She was always grateful that school came easily to her, but never more so than now. She had always passively studied in the past, steadily putting information into her brain until she could comfortably recall it at will. But now she felt busier than ever and studying always seemed to be the first thing to go.

She had to admit there was a clutching sense of panic when she first sat down to review her notes, but now that she was in the groove, she had regained her confidence. Exams would be fine.

In the background Nanako could hear the TV. Rise was on the couch watching the news, where another set of panelists were weighing in on the Kamoshida controversy. Nanako had to admit that she was a little surprised that it was still considered “news,” but the theatrical aspect of the Phantom Thieves, along with the fact that Kamoshida was a gold medal olympian, seemed to add fuel to the news-cycle fire.

“And what do you think, Akechi-kun? Do you think this could all be an elaborate prank?”

Nanako looked up. There he was. The cute boy from the train with the messy brown hair and the gentle voice.

“Well, I’m not your typical high schooler, so I don’t know if I am an expert as to what constitutes a ‘prank’ in the mind of my peers.”

The crowd laughed.

“But, I have yet to make a determination about what’s going on with the Kamoshida case,” he admitted. “I feel that I will be able to share my thoughts on the matter soon.”

“Oh, really? Being shy with your analysis, Akechi-kun? How unlike you!” the host crowed.

“Well, I don’t like to share wild guesses. But I will say this: I don’t believe in coincidence.”

Rise turned around on the couch.

“Nanako, don’t ever let anyone touch you or manipulate you like that, okay? It doesn’t matter how much power they have, how much influence, how rich they are or what they promise to give you - or take away from you. If someone wants to do that to you, fight back!”

“I will, Rise,” Nanako said.

“Good. And don’t worry about what will happen to you after. I got your back. Let’s see anyone stand up to the wrath of millions of Risette fans!”

“Rise?” Nanako said.

“Hm?”

“You’re kinda scary.”

“Yeah. It’s part of my charm,” she said with a smile.

Nanako felt her knowledge improve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, chapters might slow down just a tiny bit. I'm still aiming for 5 times a week, but I'm starting a new novel this week so I gotta divide my writing energy carefully. Thanks for reading!


	141. 5/8 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako studies.

Saturday being a half day was a perfect day to gather the group for studying.

Well. Most of the group. Ren had apparently had some other plans to attend to.

It irked Nanako, though she wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t like she told him everything she did. He didn’t owe her an explanation every time he didn’t want to hang out. Maybe he didn’t need to study. Maybe he had to work at Leblanc.

Maybe he had a secret girlfriend.

She shut her eyes. That was stupid. He didn’t have a secret girlfriend. And even if he did, it wasn’t her business. They were friends. They hadn’t said anything else. They-

“Nanako?” Ann said, gently nudging her.

She opened her eyes. “Yes, right, studying!”

“Dude, you’re more distracted than I am,” Ryuji said. “Let’s just call it off. There’s a cool new action movie playing I wanna see. Let’s do that instead.”

“Ooh, is it the one about the figure skater who’s also an assassin? I wanted to see that,” Ann said.

“Yeah? Let’s go.”

“Stop!” Nanako commanded. Both blondes glowered and sat back down. “This is serious, you guys. We need to do well.”

They were all meeting at Nanako’s place and were crowded around the dining room table. No one was home, so they had the run of the place. Nanako had even made some light snacks, that Ryuji had immediately inhaled.

“We’re doing this so we don’t draw attention, right?” Ryuji asked.

“Yes,” Nanako said.

“Then I should _not_ study. If I suddenly start doing well, it’s going to draw more attention,” he said with a grin.

“Come on, Ryuji, cut it out. You’re not stupid. You don’t have to score at the top of the class, but I need you to be solidly in the middle. You need options for universities,” Nanako explained.

“Yeah…” Ann said with a sigh. “Nanako’s right. We better take this seriously.”

“Psh, easy for you to say, you have a back-up plan, miss model,” Ryuji grumbled.

“Oh, right, I do! I’m outta here.”

“Ann!”

“Sorry.”

It went on like this for a while. One of the blondes would get distracted, frustrated, or bored, then create a little outburst. Nanako had then scold, beg, and trick them back into focusing. Nanako decided that she couldn’t tutor the both of them again. At least not at the same time.

If only Ren had been there to help…

“Come on guys, just a little more,” Nanako said. “If we can get through this next section by 4, we can make it to the movie. I’ll buy you popcorn.”

“I want candy!” Ann said.

“Okay, fine, candy, whatever you want.”

“Huh, all right, I’m down,” Ryuij said.

Nanako started reviewing the next portion - Japanese. Ann focused and kept her pencil moving across the page, but Ryuji immediately drooped in his chair, boredom crashing down on him like a rolling storm cloud.

“Hey, Ryuji,” Nanako said. “Why don’t you walk around while I’m going over this?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Just a hunch. Try it.”

He shrugged and got up and started pacing while Nanako went over the material. First it was just around the table, but his loop got wider and wider until he was wandering all around the apartment. He looked out the window. He looked at pictures on the wall. He opened and closed the cupboards.

Nanako asked him a question. Ryuji yawned but said the answer back.

“Hey, you got it right!” Ann said.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I did. Weird, I guess I was paying attention more than I thought.”

Nanako nodded sagely. “You might be a kinesthetic learner.”

“Hey, I ain’t stupid, “Ryuji grumbled. Nanako shook her head.

“No, kinesthetic, as in movement. You need to move, touch, interact with things to learn them. It’s why you’re so good at sports and beating up Shadows but have a hard time with remembering kanji symbols. School is all sitting and listening when you really need to be walking around the room or doing something with your body.”

“Huh. Yeah, I guess that kinda makes sense…” Ryuji trailed off. Ann yawned and stretched.

“Well, I’m going to use the restroom, then we can go~! I want to get there early so I can study all the candy options.”

Ann left. Nanako and Ryuji worked on stacking the books and notebooks.

“Hey, uh. Thanks. That helped a lot.”

“Sure thing!” Nanako beamed. “I bet if you study on your own while moving around you’ll have a much better effect. Maybe we can study at the park next time, we can use some spatial-visual memory techniques.”

“Yeah? You don’t mind?”

“Of course not, why would I?”

Ryuji shrugged. It was only then that Nanako realized he was a little more slumped over than usual, acting a lot more shy than he usually did.

“Something wrong?” Nanako asked.

“Nah, nah, nothing like that. Just weird. Nobody’s ever thought I could do school before, that’s all. I think even my mom kinda gave up after last year. I never told anybody this, but I was thinking of dropping out this year and just getting a job. I mean, what were my entrance exams scores gonna really get me, you know? And if university is just more the same boring crap, then there’s no way I’m going to do well there either.”

“Don’t do that. Don’t give up on yourself. The school system doesn’t work perfectly for everyone, but you can figure out how to make yourself get through it. Just graduate, at least. Then you’ll have options.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Nanako.”

They finished cleaning up and went to the movies.

Nanako’s guts raised from watching all that action.

=====

 **SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
** The Emperor: Ryuji Sakamoto  
Level 3


	142. 5/8 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako is asked out.

Nanako picked up the phone on the first ring.

“Hey,” she said, trying to sound casual.

“Hey. How was the study session?” Ren asked.

“Have you heard the expression ‘herding cats’?”

“Hey, I heard that!” Morgana yelled from the background. Ren laughed.

“Well, I’m sure they appreciated it.”

“I could use some back up, you know,” Nanako said. “You are the leader. And I seem to remember your test scores weren’t too shabby back in Inaba.”

“They were okay.”

“Yeah, and they were ‘okay’ on purpose, weren’t they?”

“No comment,” Ren said. Nanako smiled to herself. She got him good on that one.

“Seriously though, I think we’re studying tomorrow night too, you in?”

“Sure. But I need a favor, first,” Ren replied.

“What is it?”

“I’m hungry. Come with me.”

She rolled her eyes. “You could try and ask a little nicer, you know.”

“Sorry.” He cleared his voice.“Miss Nanako, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner?”

There was a shift in his voice that caught her off-guard. She was blushing furiously and felt a little dizzy.

“Y-yes.”

“Great. I’ll meet you in front of your building.”

—

Nanako leaned on the table sighed.

“I should’ve known…”

“It’ll be different this time. I’ve been preparing for this,” Ren said with full confidence.

“He hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday morning,” Morgana added.

“Here you are, sir! The Big Bang Burger Challenge!”

Nanako watched him eat with calculated, ravenous precision. Halfway through he had to take off his glasses, because they kept getting smudged with grease. He seemed to have a plan of attack, eating in a very specific pattern, using a calculated number of chews and sipping water in very precise amounts.

Twenty minutes later, the whole thing was gone.

“That was…” Nanako trailed off.

“Incredible!” Morgana said.

“Delicious,” Ren said.

“…Gross. Super gross.”

The waitress brought Ren his commemorative badge. Nanako sipped her own cup of water. Watching the whole thing had initially made her nauseous, but she managed to keep it together as they walked back home.

Her literal guts seemed to be improving.


	143. 5/9 - Lunchtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako tags along.

It was Sunday.

So Rise demanded the absolute freshest kaisendon for lunch.

So they all got on the train and went to Miura Beach.

The hour train ride went by in a blur. They were definitely the loudest group on the train, but Nanako didn’t hold back her laughter.

Rise, Yu, and Chie had all been summoned to give Yosuke a “proper welcome” to Tokyo. Nanako felt happy to be tagging along. There had been part of her that worried she’d feel too much like a little kid again - a six year old hanging out with high schoolers. But the age gape seemed to have shrunk a little, now that Nanako was closer to being an adult herself.

She felt equal.

It was a perfect day to head out to the beach town. The sun shone, the temperature was _just right_ for Nanako to wear her favorite sun dress, and they were able to eat out on a patio that overlooked the ocean. The food was fantastic and probably extremely expensive.

“How come the prices aren’t listed here?” Chie had asked.

“It’s called market price, dummy,” Yosuke said with his trademark wink. “You pay at the end based on how much you ate and how much the fish cost that day. They don’t deal with writing prices out at a fancy place like this.”

“Oh, I’m the dummy? You just ordered like five things on a teacher’s salary.”

“Hnk! I forgot!” Yosuke said, cringing in his seat. Rise waved it all away.

“Stop it you guys, it’s all my treat. This is supposed to be a celebration!”

They all raised a glass - Rise with a red wine, Yu, Yosuke, and Chie with beer, Nanako with a glass of plain water.

Okay, so maybe she was still a little kid…

“I’m so happy my best friend is out here, even if it’s only for a little while,” Yu said.

“Oh, come on bro, cut out the mushy stuff…”

“To Yosuke!” Rise added.

The clinked glasses and kept eating.

“Hey, where’s Naoto anyway?” Yosuke asked. Everyone glanced at Chie - very intentionally not looking at Yu.

“I invited her. She said she had work to catch up on,” Chie said with a shrug.

“I’m sure we’ll have a chance to meet up,” Rise said. “You’re here for the rest of year at least, right?”

“Most likely. I think initially they only wanted me to cover until they found a replacement, but the news cycle won’t let up on that asshole Kamoshida. It’s probably better for their PR if they let some plain nobody teach PE for a while,” Yosuke explained between chews.

“Is it harder teaching city kids?” Chie asked.

“How should I know, I haven’t even done this a week,” Yosuke countered.

“Well, I can tell you, city crime is definitely different than country crime.”

“Teaching isn’t like crime, Chie.”

“Hrgh! Why do you have to contradict me every single time!” Chie said, scowling.

“Not my fault that you’re too dumb to think before you talk,” Yosuke said.

“This isn’t behavior becoming of a teacher in front of their student, Hanamura-sensei,” Nanako said, cutting in. Yosuke looked injured. Yu and Rise laughed.

“N-Nanako-chan, don’t take her side…!”

“You can’t count Nanako out, Yosuke. That sweet little girl of yesteryear has grown an edge,” Yu said.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. High school girls are the meanest,” Yosuke said. “Then again, you better be careful, Nanako-chan. I can make PE a lot more miserable!”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Nanako said.

“He wouldn’t, he’s too lazy to think of a bunch of new exercises,” Chie said.

“You don’t have to think of new ones, just use ones that already exist,” Yosuke said, rolling his eyes.

“You’re too lazy for that, too! You don’t even like PE,” Chie countered.

“Hey, being a teacher is a lot of hard work! Way harder than giving out parking tickets.”

“I don’t just give out parking tickets! And you think police work is easy? I had to chase a guy down an escalator a few weeks ago!”

“Yeah, but if I do my job right, then people don’t become criminals. It’s like I’m trying to eliminate your job, actually.”

“Well that’ll never happen if _you’re_ the one who’s doing the teaching!”

Yosuke sat up.

“At least they let me do the full job and not give me the bottom of the barrel grunt duties.”

“Hey guys, I think you’re taking this a little too far…” Yu said, trying to cut in. Neither Chie nor Yosuke seemed to hear him.

“That’s only because I’m a girl, what’s your excuse for being demoted to PE teacher?”

“They picked me because the situation is delicate and they trust my judgement. You only got on the special task force because Naoto picked you.”

“Guys-” Rise said, but was immedaitely cut off.

“At least what I’m doing is going to save lives!” Chie yelled.

“So am I! And, and, and, at least I’m not ugly!” Yosuke shot back.

“Oh yeah? If you’re so ‘not-ugly’ how come you’ve never had one successful date in your life?!”

Nanako stood up and raised her hands.

“Nofighting!”

Everyone stopped. A few people around the restaurant patio looked over at them. Nanako quickly sat down. Yosuke and Chie both crossed their arms, both trying to bottle up their tempers.

“Apologize,” Nanako commanded.

“Sorry,” Chie spat out.

“Yeah. Me too. I got a little carried away,” Yosuke said. Chie softened at Yosuke’s sincere apology.

“You’re not ugly,” Chie said.

“And neither is Chie,” Nanako said. “There’s this really hot guy at the gym who’s flirting with her.”

“Nanako! What are you doing!?” Chie squeaked, her face turning a shade of tomato red.

“Ooh, really!? How hot? What’s he look like, exactly? How did you meet him?” Rise asked in rapid fire.

“Nothing, it’s nothing!” Chie declared.

“He has a six pack, and he’s super chiseled,” Nanako said. “He’s got a really mellow deep voice, but also kind eyes, and he’s super sweet.”

“Chie, you go girl!”

“It’s nothing! Nothing is happening there!” Chie insisted.

“Two athletic people are great for each other!” Rise said. “Same eating habits, same hobbies, great sex…”

“Rise!” Chie snapped.

“What, it’s true! Right, Yu?”

“Oh God, please don’t answer that,” Nanako pleaded.

“I have to go the bathroom!” Chie said, leaping to her feet and rushing into the restaurant.

“I’ll go too!” Rise said in hot pursuit.

“Get details,” Yu called after Rise. He then pat Yosuke on the shoulder. “I’ll go take care of the bill.”

“Sure, bro.”

After Yu left Nanako scooted her chair close to Yosuke. He didn’t seem angry anymore just…sad.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Always fine,” Yosuke said with a grin.

“Have you really never had a successful date?”

“…No. I’ve always been a little cursed in that department, ever since Saiki-senpai…” he trailed off. “It’s nothing. Anyway, I just haven’t found the right girl yet, you know?”

“You sure you’re not getting in your own way a little bit?” Nanako asked. “Thinking about this Saiki person, you know?”

“Nah, nothing like that! Stop worrying so much. I know you’ve always been mature, Nanako, but you don’t need to support me. I’m older, and your teacher. It’s me who’s supposed to be supporting you.”

Nanako could feel that Yosuke really needed her to agree to that, so she said “Yes, you’re right. I’m really counting on you at school, Yosuke. Being a high schooler is hard.”

“I know. I got your back, every step of the way.”

Eventually the others came back and they finished up their food before going to walk through the town. Chie and Yosuke were fine - it would concern Nanako more if they _didn’t_ bicker.

But she couldn’t stop thinking about what Yosuke said.

She made a silent promise to herself right then and there.

She was going to find him a girlfriend.

=====

 **SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
** The Moon: Yosuke Hanamura  
Level 2


	144. 5/9 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako studies.

“And then he admitted that he never had a successful date,” Nanako concluded. She was walking with Ann down the street towards the Diner on Central Street. Nanako was still wearing her sundress, but had on a light blue cardigan on top. Ann wore jeans, black Doc Martens, and a cream-colored tank-top. She had her red sweater tied around her waist.

“That’s so sad,” Ann said. “I mean, Hanamura-sensei isn’t bad looking, for a teacher.”

“And he’s such a nice guy! I’ve known him forever, he’s basically like another older brother to me. That’s why I’ve decided I’m going to try and get him a girlfriend,” Nanako said.

“Ooh! I wanna help! Sometimes I work with older models. Do you think he’d be interested in dating a model?”

“I think the words he would use are ‘yes, yes, and hell yes,’” Nanako said, doing her best Yosuke impression. They both laughed and waited for the light to change at the crosswalk.

“I’ll start thinking about who might be a good fit…” Ann said, trailing off. She glanced over her shoulder one way, then the other.

“Something wrong?” Nanako asked.

“No, I don’t think so it’s just…I’m getting this weird feeling. Like I’m being watched.”

Nanako turned around and scanned the crowd, but nobody stood out to her as staring at them.

“I don’t see anyone, but I’ll keep an eye out,” Nanako said.

“No, no, don’t bother. I think I’m just a little jumpy. All that sneaking around Kamoshida’s palace…anyway, the others are waiting, let’s go.”

The Phantom Thieves were gathering at the diner to fuel up and study at the same time, though Nanako was still full from the incredible lunch. Ren had his cute black sport coat on over his white t-shirt and sat in the corner with Ryuji in a t-shirt crowding the rest of the booth. Nanako slid in across from Ren. He was doing pencil tricks, spinning it to and fro absently while he read through his notes.

“Hey guys,” Ann said. “Already working hard?”

“I guess,” Ryuji sighed. “Damn these tests. Damn school.”

“Come on Ryuji, you gotta apply yourself. A true Phantom Thief is refined and educated and can converse on poetry, philosophy, mathematics…” Morgana said from his nest in the bag.

“Yeah? Recite one poem.”

“I…uh….well, how about a haiku?”

Morgana cleared his throat.

“ _A golden beauty / a mistress of fire and whip. / Where is the sushi?”_

Nanako clapped. Ren laughed. Ann looked embarrassed.

“That’s not a real haiku,” Ryuji said.

“Can you prove it?” Morgana shot back.

“Well…no! But come on, you clearly made that up! It didn’t even have the right number of syllables!’

“Yes it did, you dunce-cap-dodo,” Morgana said.

“No way, you had too many,” Ryuji grumbled.

Nanako looked across to Ren.

“See?”

“Yeah.”

“Guys, let’s focus,” Nanako said, gathering everyone’s attention. “And, how about a little reward for doing a good job? If we can study steadily for the next thirty minutes, I’ll buy everyone a desert.”

“Ooh, Nanako-sensei is so wise. She really knows how to motivate me!” Ann said.

“Eh, all right, but it better be good.”

They studied steadily. Nanako bought them all a dessert - except herself and Ren, who didn’t want any. Then they studied steadily again for another 45 minutes.

“We’re doing great, you guys,” Nanako said.

“Yeah, but I think my brain is out of energy…” Ryuji said. “Plus the last train will be soon.”

“We better call it a night,” Ann said with a yawn.

They took care of the bill and packed up their things and filed onto the Central Street. It still baffled Nanako that it was a few hours later and it was still just as busy as when they came in. Just as loud, just as bright. The city really didn’t ever stop, did it?

Ann and Nanako walked the boys to the station, then went back to their building. Nanako said bye to Ann at the elevator and went inside.

It looked like Yu and Rise were already in bed for the night, so Nanako plopped herself at the TV and yawned to unwind.

_Anata no!_

_Terebii ni! Jika netto Tanaka~_

_Mi, n, na, no, yoku no tomo!_

_“Welcome everyone to another life-changing installment of Tanaka’s Amazing Commodities! Today we have a couple of incredible options for you that only I, the Amazing Tanaka could bring to you today!”_

Huh. Nanako had to admit the last thing she bought off this ridiculous show had been very useful during Kamoshida’s palace. She would give him one more chance to be useful.

_“The first incredible item we have today is this deluxe painting kit! This kit is a masterwork of traditional Japanese painting supplies, perfect for the master artist in your life. Limited supplies, so order now!”_

Nanako rolled her eyes. When the heck would she ever need fancy painting supplies? She didn’t know anyone like that. She reached over to the remote control.

_“But wait, there’s more! We also are selling this deluxe case of Pep-Me-Up! 25 cans of the incredible, discontinued energy soda guaranteed to restore all of your mental energy! It’s so powerful, it’s still illegal in America! Buy now!’_

“Well, I do have exams coming up…” Nanako said, dialing the number.

Her relationships, and knowledge, grew a little bit.


	145. 5/10 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann answers a question.

“All right, listen up class. I know that you’ve just gotten back from the Golden Week break, but remember, you have exams starting on Wednesday. This is not the time to slack off,” Chuono-sensei scolded from the front of the classroom. There was a general grumble throughout the room which she shooshed immediately.

“And while you’re at it, the rumors around this school have gotten completely out of hand. I know what happened with Kamoshida was…unfortunate, but there isn’t a need to keep perpetuating things. It’s time we put that man and everything he stood for behind us. No need to be a gossip…in fact, that reminds me of an interesting fact. The word gossip originally meant ‘god parents’ but eventually turned into the word we know today - someone who shares rumors and news. However, the idea of ‘being a gossip,’ as a noun, came from a very famous English author…do you know who, Takamaki-san?”

“Uhhh!” Ann said, sitting straight up in her chair. “Ummm! Shakespeare!”

“Ah, very good. That’s correct, Shakespeare was the first one to use the word as a noun as it pertains to spreading rumors and news. Shakespeare also invented a great many terms that are commonly used in English.”

Nanako slipped her phone into her desk and texted into it as stealthily as possible.

 **NANAKO:** Nice one, Ann!   
**ANN:** I totally guessed…

Nanako giggled in the back of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, we're back! Hope you all had a good holiday, if you celebrate that sort of thing.


	146. 5/10 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hideout.

They assembled at the hideout - the roof.

“It’s Mishima,” Ren said from his position leaning against the air conditioner vent.

“What’s Mishima?” Nanako asked.

“The person running the Phantom Aficionado Site, or as he calls it, the Phansite,” Ren replied, adjusting his glasses. “Morgana and I confirmed it on Saturday. He was inspired by what we did, and he’s working through a lot of guilt with what he did for Kamoshida.”

“Wait, does that mean he knows who you are?” Nanako asked. Ren looked at the ground.

“You know, it’s not super clear…”

“That’s dangerous,” Nanako pointed out.

“I think it’ll be fine,” Morgana cut in. “He seems really fired up to help us out, and to be honest, we could use the help.”

“How’s Mishima gonna help?” Ryuji asked between huge bites of his protein bar. “I mean, I like having a fan site dedicated to us, but…”

“Have you seen what’s being posted on there?” Ren asked. “There’s hundreds of requests in the forum. People asking for our help.”

“For real!?”

Everyone got out their phones.

“I think my boyfriend is cheating on me…no one will listen to what I say…people are making fun of me on online chat rooms…” Ann read out.

“These are all just people bitching about their boyfriends and parents, how does this help us find a new target?” Ryuji asked.

“It doesn’t,” Morgana said, grinning from ear to feline ear. “But there’s another way we can use it.”

“Look through the forums for a post on Natsuhiko Nakanohara,” Ren said. Nanako tapped in the search as quickly as she could.

“I don’t know what to do about my ex stalking me. He’s a government teller,” Nanako read. “Hey, this sounds serious.”

“Exactly. Just the kind of ideal target,” Morgana said.

“So we can just jump right in and get this guy’s palace? I’m down,” Ryuji said, sitting up and suddenly way more alert.

“H-hey, unanimous decision rule, remember?” Ann said.

“She’s right. We need to agree that Nakanohara needs his heart changed,” Nanako said. “In my opinion, stalking is dangerous behavior. It can be the precursor to even more dangerous behavior, like murder or kidnapping. And if he’s a government worker with connections to City Hall, that makes him even more dangerous. I vote yes.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Ann said. “Me too.”

“It has to be done,” Ren added.

“Good, we’re all in agreement,” Morgana said.

“But we don’t know the rest of the keywords, do we?” Ryuji asked.

“We don’t need them. Nakanohara’s distortions and desires are twisted and dangerous, yes, but they’re not strong enough for their own palace yet. We can track him down in _Mementos_ ,” Morgana said with a flourish.

“Really? That’s possible?” Ann asked.

“Indeed, Lady Ann. As I mentioned before, Mementos is everyone’s palace, which means that we can use the Meta Nav to locate his shadow and steal his heart.”

“What about a calling card?” Nanako asked.

“This is where Mishima comes in handy. If he posts a warning to Nakanohara on the forum, then it should be enough to make a small-scale treasure materialize,” Ren said.

“For real?!” Ryuji said, amazed.

“Did you test this?” Nanako asked.

“Well. No. But it should work!” Morgana said.

“Can’t hurt to try. Let’s go for it!” Ryuji said.

“What about studying?” Nanako asked.

Everyone turned to give her a look.

“Okay, okay, maybe we could use a break…”


	147. 5/10 - Mementos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves investigate.

“Hey uh, Angel, you okay?” Panther called out.

Nanako didn’t answer.

“I’m gonna check on her,” Panther said. “You guys stay here.”

The boys did as they were told and stayed at the top of the train station entrance. Panther climbed the stairs back to the surface street level of Mementos.

“Oh, there you are. Hey, new outfit?”

“Y-yeah,” Nanako stammered. “I mean, my uniform was destroyed in Kamoshida’s palace, but it’s not a good idea to still wear my Shujin uniform, since I don’t want to tip off anyone’s subconscious, so I thought I’d try this but…it looks totally stupid.”

“What? No way! You look cute!…I’m not sure what you’re going for, but you still look good!”

“It’s the character from Library Chicks,” Nanako muttered.

Sano’s gift of the hat had inspired Nanako. After all, if the subconscious might remember them in their mind, then wouldn’t it be even more confusing if she looked like a fictional character? It would make it more likely for a person’s conscious mind to dismiss those thoughts as just dreams or random figments of their imagination. So Nanako had put on the hat and tied her hair from her twin-tails into a pony tail, threading it through the back of the hat, just like the character did. She had on a replica “READ” tank-top that she had bought at an otaku shop on Central Street, her thigh holster, the Compendium, and a pair of high-top sneakers. Instead of the reflective aviators, Nanako wore her big bro’s glasses.

And she had on some pretty short shorts. Not _quite_ as short as the girl in the manga, but still…short.

All she was missing was the jacket.

“Oh! Well you look great. Are you able to fight in it?”

“Yeah, even easier than my old uniform, actually. It’s just…uh…”

Panther leaned in closer.

“You’re worried what Joker’s going to think of it?”

“Yeah.”

“You look hot, Nanako. You have nice legs, and I’m sure he’s going to notice it. And besides, you’re not allowed to feel stupid in your outfit. I’m wearing a red leather cat suit.”

“Yeah, but you look great.”

“And so do you! So come on, let’s go. Someone needs our help. We’re not going to let that girl be stalked just because we’re insecure about our looks, are we?”

Ann’s words braced Nanako’s resolve. She adjusted the hat, checked her gun, and nodded.

“You’re right. Thanks, Panther. Let’s go.”

They walked back down the stairs. Skull, who was balancing on the turnstiles, almost fell off when he saw Nanako.

“Whoah! I didn’t recognize you…hey, you’re Kira-chan from Library Chicks, right?”

“Haha, yeah. It’s a long story,” Nanako said, trying to move the topic along quickly.

“Looks good,” Ryuji said. “Can we go now?”

Joker glanced at Nanako. His gaze seemed to linger for a moment before nodding at Mona. Mona struck another stylish pose.

“Mona…transform!”

\- -

The Mona car rumbled on and on through the labyrinthine twists of Mementos. Joker was at the wheel with Nanako sitting next to him. Panther and Skull waited in the back seat.

Joker intentionally ambushed a few Shadows, just to get everyone warmed up. Nanako was surprised how easily they fell back into the routine, even with days without practice. She wondered if it had to do with their cognition - now that they had defeated Kamoshida, their own perception of their skills was higher than before.

“So, Angel, when did you start reading Library Chicks?” Skull asked.

“Huh? Oh, uh, recently. It’s kind of a complicated story.”

“Yeah, it totally is. Sometimes I get confused while I’m reading it. But the pictures are real good,” Skull said.

“That’s not what I meant-” 

“Still, surprises me. Didn’t seem like your kinda thing,” Skull added. Nanako frowned.

“Why, because I’m a girl?”

“Huh? Yeah, I guess, I mean, it’s a shounen manga, so…”

“I like all sorts of stuff,” Nanako said, feeling a little indignant. “I watch a lot of TV.”

“I do too, but I kinda watch the same stuff all the time. Dramas, fashion shows, reality shows…” Panther said as she leaned against her hand and stared out the window.

“I like those too. But I also like action movies and foreign films and documentaries and home shopping shows and…well, I guess I’ll watch anything, really,” Nanako admitted. “I didn’t have a lot to do when I was little. TV was my best friend.”

“O-oh,” Skull stammered. “Well, uh. I mean, it’s cool you like so much stuff. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Nanako smiled. “It’s okay, I understood.”

And she did. Skull - no, Ryuji - was such a good guy. Even if he did stick his foot in his mouth.

They drove more.

“Mona, how come it smells like coffee in here?” Panther asked.

“I think that’s Joker,” Skull said. “He always smells like coffee.”

“Ugh, the best coffee,” Nanako said. “And yet he never brings me any…”

“I don’t have a thermos,” Joker said.

“What!? That’s the only reason!? Why didn’t you say so! I’m sure we have one! Or I’ll buy one!”

“Wow, I didn’t realize Nanako was so into coffee…” Panther said.

“Joker’s coffee, at least…”

Panther punched Skull in the arm.

“Shut up you idiot!”

“Wait, here!” Mona yelled, his voice crackling through the speaker on the dashboard. He and Joker skid the Mona-car to a stop. The doors burst open and the team was out and in fighting stances. Mona puffed into a cloud of smoke and transformed.

Ahead of the Phantom Thieves, reality twisted. The darkness had turned into something solid and malevolent, dragging red light into the maelstrom. Even the train tracks were twisted in space, pulled to the center.

“Is that it?” Panther asked.

“Yeah. I can feel it. I can’t explain why…but I sense that the target is on the other side,” Mona said.

“What is it?” Skull asked.

“The beginning of a palace,” Joker said. “See how it twists and pulls? It’s just like the Will Seed…if this were left to sit here long enough, it would turn into a palace just like Kamoshida’s.”

Everyone looked to Mona, who nodded.

“I think he’s right.”

“All the more reason we need to take action,” Nanako said. “It’s showtime!”

“Hell yeah!” Skull said, leaping head first.

“Hey, don’t go ahead!” Panther cried, rushing after him.

“Wait, Lady Ann!” Mona said, diving behind her. Nanako was about to jump when he felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to face Joker.

“What’s up?”

He stared at her, those intense eyes behind that elegant mask. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Then frowned. Then opened his mouth again. Then closed it.

“I stole your line?” Nanako asked.

“…Yeah.”

“Sorry. You’re the leader, you can say the cool line.”

“…thanks.”

Joker leapt ahead and Nanako laughed.

So even Ren had a little vanity in him.


	148. 5/10 - Mementos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadow Nakanohara

“What the hell? I thought you said he didn’t have a palace,” Skull said.

The Phantom Thieves stood in the doorway of a public building. The floor was made of a marble, the walls made of a fine wood, and the ceilings were lit tastefully with sconces. There was a queue ahead of them with its path marked with red velvet rope and bright brass poles. Soft music played over the speakers.

The only thing that stood out of place was a digital indicator with bright red numbers under the words “NOW SERVING NUMBER.” It said it was serving number 73.

“This isn’t a palace…it’s the beginning of a palace,” Nanako observed. “I bet if we tried to go further beyond this room, there’d be nothing there. But if we let it continue to grow, it would become as huge as Kamoshida’s.”

“I have to agree,” Mona said. “This is an impressive imprint on the Metaverse, but it has to be small. I can sense Nakankohara nearby…just in that office over there.”

They followed Mona’s pointing paw. Past the queue was a wooden service desk with more brass bars, giving it the impression of an old-timey bank, or maybe a casino. There were two tellers behind the desk, both identical in appearance - a man with a bowl haircut and glasses. They worked efficiently, handling the requests of those in line. Beyond the two tellers was a small office with a frosted glass window that said “manager.”

The number clicked over - now serving number 74.

“Well, this outta be easy. Let’s get in line,” Skull said. He sauntered over to the wall and pulled the ticket dispenser. He looked at it.

“What the eff!? Number 298!?”

“Nooo, we can’t stand around and just wait that long…” Panther complained.

“Can’t we just start shooting? We are thieves, after all,” Skull pointed out.

“I dunno…seems a little brash…but this is just a small fry,” Mona said. “Your call, Joker.”

Joker’s face broke into his cunning grin.

“Skull…why don’t you go correct the number displayed?” Joker suggested.

“Fine by me,” Skull said, holding his hand in the air. His pipe appeared and he pushed through crowd.

“Now serving number who the hell cares!”

Skull smashed the display number. The customers, all cognitive beings, rushed in panic at Skull’s sudden attack, bursting through the front doors. The two tellers immediately started scolding him.

“Sir, stop that!”

“You must wait your turn, sir!”

“Never been that good at waiting,” Skull said. The number display fell off completely and smashed onto the ground, bits of glass and plastic scattering across the pure shine of the marble floor.

The teller on the left dove underneath his service desk while the one on the right rushed straight to the manager’s office and started pounding on the door. The door slammed opened, shoving the teller to the side and bouncing him off the wall.

“What is the meaning of all this disorder?!” the manager cried. This was Nakanohara, evident by his distorted Shadow voice and the glowing yellow eyes. He looked exactly the same as the tellers, save for the manager’s name tag.

Joker lifted up his wrist and fired his grappling hook. The shot was perfectly aimed to slip between the brass bars and over the right shoulder of Shadow Nakanohara. The hook bounced off the door behind the shadow and started looping back towards the bars, over the Shadow’s left shoulder.

“Panther!” Joker shouted. Panther sprung forward and instinctively let her whip fly between the bars. The end of the grappling hook was loosing speed, but had enough for Panther’s whip to catch the end.

“Pull!” Joker commanded. Both he and Panther pulledand caught Shadow Nakanohara by the back of his neck. He was pulled forward with tremendous force until he was slammed against the brass bars, held in place by the cable.

 _Kachick_.

Skull pressed his shotgun on the Nakanohara’s forehead.

“Your treasure. We’ll be taking it now.”

“No! I am the one in control here! Everyone needs permission from _me_ to do anything! Even break up with me! That woman had no permission to leave me! I will hound her until she recognizes my authority!”

“Skull, look out!” Mona cried. The two tellers had opened the door between the lobby and the back office and were already melting into their shadow forms - bowl-haired Obariyons - rushing at Skull in a charge.

Nanako already had the Compendium open.

“Rakshasa!”

The red-skinned swordsman appeared in the space between the Obariyons and Skull, swords poised. Both Obariyons reacted quickly to slam their fists at the Persona, with Nanako feeling the heavy impact in her soul. But the damage was negligible and exactly what she wanted. Rakshasa unleashed his counter-attack and slipped his two curved blades in rapid arcs along their bellies.

“Fools!” Nakanohara roared as his body transformed into an even stronger Obariyon. He shoved back, breaking free of the cable around his neck and throwing Panther off-balance as a result.

The two teller Obariyons ran for the fallen Panther, but Nanako was already on the look out. Rakshasa lunged down and gave the nearest one a giant slice. The shadow crumpled and melted on the marble floor.

“Lady Ann!” Mona cried. “Zorro!”

Zorro appeared and unleashed a rapid barrage of thrusts. The Obariyon held up his arms and absorbed most of the blows, appearing to be mostly unaffected. Instead it charged up an aura of energy and let a dark cloud explode around Mona. Mona coughed while Zorro’s sword was suddenly slowed by the use of Sukunda.

“Dance, Carmen!”

Fire engulfed Obariyon and it melted into the floor.

Nakanohara Obariyon bent the bars and tackled Skull, raining punches down on him. Skull fired his shotgun at point blank range over and over again into Nakanohara’s belly, but it didn’t seem to have much effect.

He was strong against physical attacks, Nanako realized.

“Izanagi! Zio!”

The lightning bolt appeared from the end of Izanagi’s blade and twisted around Obariyon, sending him convulsing and staggering backward.

“Captain Kidd! Zio!”

The pirate extended its arm cannon and launched a follow-up electric attack. This crashed Nakonahara Obariyon back into the manager’s office. The shadow shell melted off of Nakanohara as he picked himself off the ground.

“You can’t take this from me, pathetic Phantom Thieves!”

“We already did.”

Joker casually leaned on a wall. He had his hand held out, extending two fingers. Between the fingers was a photograph that glowed with a pulsing golden light.

“N-no! My treasure!”

“This is her, right?” Joker asked. “The girl you’ve been stalking?”

He tossed the picture casually onto the ground, where Nanako could see it clearly. It was of Nakanohara and a girl standing next to each other somewhere in the city, both smiling.

“She…she just left me out of nowhere…the only good thing I had in my life…after all the set backs I’ve had, after all the suffering I’ve endured, after all the dreams that died with Madarame…she was the one last light I had…”

"Madarame?" Panther said. 

“You can’t force her back,” Nanako said. “If she wants to go, you have to let her. It’s not her job to stay because you’re having a hard time of life. You don’t own her.”

“Own another person…no, I don’t want to be like that…be like him…” the shadow said, staring at the floor.

“You need to believe more in yourself. If you’re holding onto her that tightly, you don’t believe you can find another person to love, or find more happiness. Give yourself more credit,” Joker said.

“Yes…yes, I’ll do that…I’ll return to my true self, and cease these horrible actions.”

Shadow Nakanohara dissolved into shimmers of light while the room around them started to fade into blackness, being replaced by the twisting corridors of Mementos.

Joker bent down and picked up the photograph and tucked it into his coat.

“Good work team,” Joker said with a cocky grin.

“And where the heck were you?” Skull grumbled as he sat on the ground waiting for Mona and Zorro to casting healing spells.

“Had to slip past and open the safe to get the treasure. But I knew you could handle it. You got my back don’t you?”

Skull laughed. “Yeah, I guess I do…besides, it didn’t hurt that much.”

“Yeah, it’s good thing that mask is metal, you got hit in the face so many times,” Panther said.

“Hey, it wasn’t that many!”

“At least ten or fifteen,” Panther said.

“Come on, help me out here Angel!”

“I thought you were very brave,” Nanako said. “And you did land the final blow.”

“Yeah, true!”

“Only _after_ Angel figured out his weakness,” Mona pointed. Skull sighed.

“Yeah, I guess that’s true…”

“Ah, come on, I didn’t mean it like that,” Panther said. “You did good. We all did. And thank you Mona, for covering me.”

“O-of course, Lady Ann.”

Nanako spun around on her heel and stared at the darkness behind her.

“Something wrong?” Joker asked.

“I thought I heard a chain…” Nanako mumbled. “I don’t know. I just have a bad feeling…”

“Yeah, me too,” Mona said, leaping into the air and transforming. “Let’s get out of here.”


	149. 5/10 - Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chie's secrets.

“Okay well…that should do it for you guys. I’ll finish up here.” Chie said. Gathered around her were three other officers. They all looked as exhausted as she felt.

“Thanks, Satonaka,” said one guy. The other two looked a little guilty that Chie was willing to jump on the grenade, as it were, but she could see that their fatigue was stronger than their consciences. They too thanked her, bowed, and rushed off as quickly as they could.

Chie sighed and looked around.

The senior center was still a bit of a mess, but it wasn’t the worst thing she’d ever had to clean up. Mostly streamers and balloons, a few paper plates and discarded plastic cups. It was mostly putting things into the trash, sweeping, and putting the folding tables away.

That night was the “Police Ball” for one of the local senior centers, where a few officers came in to throw a little party and dance with the elders. It was one of Akihiko’s side projects, and normally he was the one who coordinated, and attended, these events. He said it was part of “public outreach” to keep the relationship between the police and community strong.

He was such a nice guy.

Well, except for the part where he had ditched the party he had planned and convinced Chie to cover for him. Chie’s soul was on the edge of being burned out from all the work she’d had to do. She’d startd early on her grueling data analysis work for the Special Task Force, then just as she was trying to leave and go home for a few hours, the chief had pulled her in to do traffic duty at a busy intersection that had lost its traffic lights.

Busy work that any officer could have done, but he’d pulled Chie. Probably still getting her back for the crazy escalator stunt she’d pulled…

She’d finished that up with just enough time to stop by the caterer, get the food, set up the party, and then dance the night away with a buncha sweet old guys.

But try as she might, Chie couldn’t be mad at Akihiko. He wasn’t just playing hooky, he was working in secret on the Kaneshiro case. And even though her part was a bit less…direct, it felt like she was helping him crack the case too.

Chie crumpled up a plastic tablecloth and shoved it hard into a trash can, sighing.

“I’m so hungry, though…” she groaned in the empty senior center.

“Then my timing is pretty good.”

She spun around. Akihiko stood in the doorway, a plastic bag looped around his fingers.

“O-oh, Akihiko! Sorry, I didn’t realize…”

“I finished up and thought I’d swing by and bring you some dinner. These seniors are a ravenous pack, don’t usually leave much for the officers…I hope you like beef bowls.”

Chie felt her soul come back to life.

“Beef bowls!? Hell yeah I do! I love you!…for bringing beef bowls!”

Akihiko chuckled and went to work unpacking the takeout and thankfully seemed to not notice Chie’s stupid words or the stupid bright shade of red now burning on her cheeks. She took a few breaths to compose herself and sat down with Akihiko.

“Oh, it smells so good!”

“Dig in,” Akihiko said with a smile.

She did. Hunger and instinct took over and she ate with mechanical efficiency, her mind fading away as she let the pleasure of the flavor and the satisfying relief wash over her. She was pretty sure she moaned embarrassingly. At least once.

A few minutes later, she was out of her feeding trance and noticed that Akihiko had finished eating too. In fact, it looked like he beat her.

“Aha, sorry, I’m sort of a fast easter,” Akihiko said. “I haven’t hardly eaten all day.”

“Neither did I. And I’m sure it wasn’t as embarrassing as what I just did…did I even chew?”

He laughed. “It’s fine. Hey, thanks for covering. This dance means a lot to some of these senior citizens.”

“Yeah, Mrs. Tanabara was about ready to cry when I said you weren’t going to be here,” Chie said with a sly smile. “You little heart breaker.”

“She says that about every male officer,” he replied with a chuckle, though Chie thought maybe he was blushing a little.

“What made you think of starting this?” Chie asked. Akihiko put his chopsticks in the center of his empty takeout bowl.

“I started volunteering at a senior center right after high school. I had just…gone through something kinda big, and I was trying all sorts of things to get perspective on life. Someone suggested that I could ‘adopt a grandpa’ or something, get some advice from elders.”

“Adopt a grandpa?”

“Yeah. There’s a lot of seniors who don’t get any visitors, so they’re more than happy to talk to anyone who bothers to come visit them. I’m an orphan, so it works out.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Chie said quickly.

“It’s fine. You didn’t know, and it’s not something I go around advertising that much, to be honest…anyway, it was there that I met Uematsu-san.”

“And he became your kindly grandfather?”

“Ha! I wouldn’t use the word ‘kindly.’ He was curmudgeonly old bastard. But he had a lot of good wisdom. He gave it to me straight when I really needed it, and helped me through a complicated time. He died a couple years after I met him. But he helped me a lot. So I kept doing whatever I could for the seniors in our community. They’re an amazing resource that not enough people take advantage of,” Akihiko said.

Chie realized she was leaning her chin on her hand and was staring at Akihiko like an infatuated schoolgirl. She straightened up.

“That’s nice of you. You’re a really good guy.”

Akihiko winced a little. “You…may not think so pretty soon.”

“Huh?”

“Listen, Chie…I wanted to ask you something. But I had to do a little digging, and I probably crossed some lines doing it, and…well…”

Chie frowned, very confused. “Akihiko, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Just ask me.”

Akihiko nodded and sighed, reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a small square of folded newspaper and carefully opened it, setting it on the table.

“That’s you, right?” Akihiko asked.

Chie looked down at the newspaper clipping. There was a black and white photograph featuring Naoto. Akihiko put his finger on the background, where she could see herself and Yukiko.

“Oh my God, that is me! This is from, what, ten years ago? I look so young…and look at Naoto! She’s such a baby in this picture!”

Chie picked it up and looked closer.

“Yukiko too! I forgot how tiny she was. I feel like she’s been pregnant for the last five years, you know?…hey, wait a second, how did you find this?”

“This is what I mean about crossing a few lines,” Akihiko explained. “Everyone knew about Shirogane coming on board the Special Investigations Team, but that wasn’t a surprise. Shirogane always jumps on the big, complicated cases. However, when you were assigned there, it was…odd. Not because you’re a bad cop or anything, but it didn’t seem like your kind of thing, especially with the chief being mad at you. I figured there must be some sort of connection between you two, so I…peeked in your personnel file a bit. I saw that you were from Inaba, and some memory clicked in my head. I was studying in university during serial killings in Inaba, and we often discussed it with the professor, and of course, Shirogane was involved. So I put it all together.”

“Wow, you’re a good cop,” Chie said.

“…You’re not mad?”

“Why should I be? It’s not like I was hiding it. I am from Inaba. I went to high school with Naoto,” Chie said with a shrug. “Though you coulda just asked me.”

“Yeah, I suppose…sorry. Sometimes with relationships I just sorta…screw it up.”

Relationships? That was an interesting word to use, Chie thought.

“Is that all you wanted to know?”

“Actually, no. You were involved in that investigation, weren’t you? The files about the Inaba case are confusing and contradictory, and a lot of it is still classified since it’s still technically open. And of course they don’t mention you, but…”

Chie took a moment to think carefully about her response. It wasn’t the first time she’d been asked about the case from ten years ago, and she’d perfected the story she usually told cops when they asked. And yet, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to use it. It wasn’t like she could talk about Personas or fighting a god with Akihiko, but something about lying to him made her uncomfortable. Maybe it was just her crush. Or maybe she was worried he’d find the holes in the story.

But there was no way other than forward.

“Yeah. The serial killings are what get talked about a lot, but there was another aspect to that case - kidnappings. Well, I suppose they were attempted serial killings, but they were stopped by me and my friends. The first person after Saki Konishi was Yukiko, the other girl in that picture. She’s my best friend, so when she went missing, naturally I had to go find her.”

“Naturally,” Akihiko said with a smile. “Go on.”

“There were other people who were kidnapped that went to my school too, other friends of ours. Somehow we figured out the pattern and we would sneak in and free them before they were hurt. But we couldn’t tell the police, there was no way they’d believe us. That’s where Naoto came in. She was the bridge we needed between the police and our little investigation methods.” Chie laughed and shook her head. “This must sound crazy to you, high schoolers adventuring around…”

“It’s not as crazy to me as you might think,” Akihiko said. “But…in the end, you helped Shirogane solve the case, right?”

“Yeah. I know this is going to sound odd, but it was fun. I had already been thinking of joining the police, but that experience solidified it for me.”

“I was wondering about that. So it didn’t scar you? Ruin you? You weren’t irrevocably traumatized by it?”

Chie had never been asked that question before. She wasn’t sure how to answer it. Had there been trauma from that experience? Of course. She had nightmares about shadows for a few years after, and dreams about not being able to call her Persona, being consumed by the darkness of the Midnight Channel. But everything left a scar - even the good things.

“Well, it _changed_ me. But something would have changed me, eventually. We can’t stay innocent forever, can we?”

“No, I suppose not.”

“Why are you asking all this?” Chie asked.

“It has to do with the Kaneshiro case…I have an idea. But it’s risky and it requires me asking something of someone, and I didn’t want to…well…let’s just say I had my own experiences in high school that if I could undo them, I would. I guess I was hoping your story had a different ending than mine, and it seems like it did.”

“That’s super cryptic,” Chie said.

“I know,” Akihiko said with a sad smile. “Sorry. Maybe someday I can tell you more about it.”

Chie wasn’t sure if by “it” he meant the Kaneshiro case or his own high school experience. But she wasn’t going to pry.

“I hope I was helpful.”

“Very. You’re a good friend, Chie. I’m glad we’ve become closer lately.”

“Me too,” Chie said, feeling her heart pound in her chest. Akihiko glanced at his watch.

“Well, I’ve taken too much of your time already, and I better head home.”

“Yeah, me too,” Chie said. They got up, cleaned up, and went for the door together. A million thoughts were racing through Chie’s head, a million different ways to finish out this impromptu date with Akihiko. She couldn’t just let it fizzle out.

“Hey, um, do you want to see it?” Chie asked.

“See what?”

“Inaba. I mean, you know, if you’re curious about the place and the case and whatever. If you’re ever bored, I wouldn’t mind, you know, going with you to check it out. It’s not that far by train. But, ah, what am I saying, this is a stupid idea, there’s nothing out there that’s at all interesting and…”

“When I get a little more time, sure,” Akihiko said. “Sounds fun. I haven’t left the city in ages.”

“U-uh, okay.”

They said goodbye and went their separate ways. Chie felt exhausted, full, nostalgic, and excited all at once.

It was going to take her forever to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everyone! 
> 
> The more I watch playthroughs of P3, and P4A, the more i want to use Akihiko and maybe some other P3 characters...maybeeee they'll start to creep in a little bit here and there. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has commented recently, especially new readers! I'm going to try and reply to some today, but know that I appreciate all of you. I love this little community and I love your thoughts and theories.
> 
> ...even when they're surprisingly accurate.


	150. 5/11 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako brews.

“And then you just pour in a circular motion, like this,” Nanako explained. She was teaching Yu how to use the new pour-over coffee filter they bought last night, along with the gooseneck kettle. She breathed in the aroma of the coffee as it fully bloomed from the hot water.

“…This is kind of a lot of work,” Yu pointed out.

“Shh…we need it to get to the ideal brew time of 5 minutes. Then we’ll know if the ground consistency was correct.”

“Yeah, there’s no way I’m doing this every morning. But, more power to you,” Yu said, patting Nanako on the shoulder. She shrugged and continued on with brewing the perfect cup of coffee.

_Pi pi pi._

**REN:** It worked. Mishima said there was a post today from the girl saying the stalker apologized and promised he’d stop.   
**ANN:** Wow, that’s incredible! We did it!   
**RYUJI:** Hell yeah, another victory for the Phantom Thieves! The world is going to believe in us and our justice soon enough!   
**RYUJI:** Though I guess changing one person isn’t going to matter that much, huh?   
**ANN:** It matters to that girl.  
 **NANAKO:** Yeah, I agree. We did a good thing. Let’s keep it up.  
 **REN:** Meet up tomorrow after school at the hideout so we can talk it out some more.

Nanako felt lighter and peppier when she walked to the train station. She wasn’t sure if it was from the excellent coffee or the joy of changing a life, but regardless, things were good. The train came to a wooshing halt, and to her surprise, the door lined up exactly where she was standing. When it slid open, it revealed Ren leaning against the pole.

“Hey,” he said, looking down at her coffee cup.

“Hey. Did you plan to be standing right in front of me?”

“No, but I wish I had.”

She got on. He kept looking at the coffee cup.

“Did you want some?” Nanako asked.

“No, I think my blood is 1% coffee at this point. Just surprised you brought some from home.”

“I got a home pour over thing since _someone_ wouldn’t bring me any.”

Ren shifted his bag and glanced at it once.

“Yeah…”

“Hey, is there something-”

“Can you help me with something?” he said, cutting her off. “It’s about tonight.”

“Sure, what’s going on?”

He told her.


	151. 5/11 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto.

One would think that being the valedictorian and the student council president would afford one some level of ease around people of authority, like the principal.

One would be wrong. In fact, Makoto felt that perhaps it made the whole thing worse. She had so much to lose standing in front of this bloated man. Her accomplishments had not built her a safety net. They had driven her to the very precipice of a tower where she had to hang on or plummet.

Of course, Principal Kobayakawa had always been a reasonable man in the past. Sure, she did a lot for the student council and the school, but that was to be expected at an elite school like Shujin. How else could she be prepared for the real world if she wasn’t given actual responsibility?

But that was in the past. He had become…desperate? Yes, that seemed the correct word for it. What Makoto couldn’t figure out was _why_. After all, he had insisted that he didn’t know anything about Kamoshida.

“Sir, if I understand the situation correctly,” Makoto said after a deep breath, “you want me to investigate the possibility that these ‘phantom thieves’ are more than a prank? You want _me_ to find them?”

“Only if they’re Shujin students, of course,” the principal said. “After all, as student council president, you should know the student body better than anyone. And after all, if these allegations against Kamoshida-sensei are true-“

“He did admit to the crimes,” Makoto pointed out. The principal looked irritated, then seemed to physically swallow whatever words and emotions that were going to bubble out of him.

“Yes, so he did. Then that puts more credence to the idea that it must be a student, or possibly a former student. After all, who else would have access to the school to leave all those notes? Yes, yes, I believe it must be a student, so you must find them. You are a Nijima, are you not?”

“Yes, sir.”

“If Sae were still here, I could most definitely count on her to solve this…I can count on you the same way. Do you understand the situation?”

“Yes, sir. I understand,” Makoto forced out of her mouth.

“Yeah, and so do I.”

Makoto spun around while Kobayakawa looked up to the opening door.

“I’m sorry for eavesdropping, but I was told I could find Nijima-san here and your doors are kind of thin…still, it seems that it was a good thing I was,” the man said. He was tall and wore a black suit, white shirt, and bright red tie that accented his platinum-white hair. Even in the suit, Makoto could tell the man must be in incredible shape. He spoke evenly, but his words were weighty.

“Excuse me, what on earth are you doing barging into my office like that?” Kobayakawa blustered, rising to his feet.

“I’m Lieutenant Sanada, Tokyo Police. Principal Kobayakawa, did I just hear you asking a student to investigate a crime?”

“Well, I-”

“Because that would be incredibly serious, if that were true. Then again, I did hear it through the door, so perhaps I was mistaken in what I heard…was I?”

“I-indeed, you were,” the principal said.

“That’s good to hear. Because if you were using your authority to meddle in an active investigation, that would open up a lot of questions about how much you knew about Kamoshida-san’s actions. You have been principal here for quite some time, am I correct? I’m sure that would be a lengthy investigation, and we don’t want that. You do have a school to run.”

“Of course, Lieutenant, I wouldn’t dream of meddling.”

“Good. And I trust that if I look into this say…in a week, a month, a year, I’m not going to hear that students have been asked to do anything, correct?”

“Correct.”

“Wonderful. Now, I am very sorry to intrude, but Nijima-san, I would like to speak with you when you have a moment. Did you need to finish up in here?”

Makoto looked at the principal. He stared down at his desk, red in the face, sweating. He shook his head without looking up.

“Excellent. Is there somewhere we can speak privately?”

“The student council room should be available,” Makoto suggested.

“Perfect.”

Makoto rose, bowed to Kobayakawa, then lead Lieutenant Sanada out of the office and over to the student council room. She had dismissed the others for the day, so it was empty when she unlocked it. They sat down at the table.

“I’m sorry to surprise you like this. I would have called, but the situation is rather delicate,” Sanada-san said.

“I understand, my sister is a prosecutor, so I know things can be complicated,” Makoto replied politely. “I’m happy to help you in any way I can.”

“Yes, I’ve worked with your sister a little bit…she’s quite good. Which is why I came to you. Now, I just gave your principal a dressing down for asking a minor to do an investigation, so what I’m going to ask you is hypocritical, I know. However, I want to be clear that I’m giving you a choice. You can turn me down and no one will ever know or be affected by it. Nothing will happen to you or your sister.”

“I understand,” Makoto said with an even voice, her face perfectly composed, even while on the inside her anxiety was just kicked into overdrive. A thousand thoughts and possibilities ran through her mind all at once, and it took all of her willpower to keep them shoved into the background while she listened.

“There’s a criminal element in Shibuya that the police have had an extremely difficult time stopping. Their leader is a slippery, cunning person who has managed to evade every trap the police have put after him. He uses a combination of complex workforce tiers, debt, and blackmail to keep his little empire going. Lately, he’s been using high schoolers to do his dirty work. In particular, Shujin students.”

Makoto nodded slowly. Sanada kept his eyes steady on her, as if observing for some particular reaction or another.

“You don’t seem shocked by this,” he pointed out.

“I am a little…but we - the student council, that is - have received a couple of anonymous complaints regarding a similar issue. I think they are probably one and the same.”

“And how do you feel about it?”

“It’s despicable and needs to be stopped,” Makoto said, fire in her voice. She sat up a bit straighter. “I assume that you wish to use my position as a high school student at Shujin to help lure them into a trap?”

“Yes. And I know I’m crossing a line-”

“I’ll do it.”

Sanada was surprised. “Are you sure? Before I asked you this, I wanted to lay out all the risks of something like this. There are a lot of them…”

“Are you familiar with my father’s work, Lieutenant?”

“I am,” he said.

“Then you know that the risks won’t stop me. What do you need me to do?”

“As of right now, nothing. I’m still working on the plan. I couldn’t finish making it without knowing what your answer was going to be.”

“I understand. I’ll wait for you to contact me. Do you need my number?”

“If you don’t mind.”

Makoto gave him her contact information.

“Does my sis know about this?”

“No. I thought about asking her permission, but-”

“She wouldn’t have given it to you,” Makoto said. “Okay. I’ll keep it quiet from her for now.”

“Thank you. And thank you for your help. I promise you’ll be as minimally involved as possible. I want to strike fast and hard and take this guy out for good.”

“Thank you for the opportunity. I won’t let you down.”

The two rose and exchanged bows, and Lieutenant Sanada insisted he could find his own way out of Shujin. So, Makoto sat back down as soon as he left. She stared into a blank spot on the table and thought.

She had just accepted a very foolish thing, but she couldn’t let the injustice go unanswered - especially if it was targeted Shujin students. She had a responsibility to the student body. Yes, this was a bit more extreme than any other student council president would probably ever do, but it was who she was.

And besides, what if these were the same gangsters that had killed her father?

There was no way to know, of course. But just the possibility lit a fire in Makoto’s heart that she couldn’t ignore.

Of course, she couldn’t ignore Kobayakawa’s request, either.

Yes, Sanada had gone in and warned him not to ask her to do it, but he’d already asked. And she knew how Kobayakawa’s mind worked. There was an expectation that she would still look for the Phantom Thieves in the student body. If she didn’t, then the end of the year would suddenly become very busy for him, and the recommendations she needed to get into good universities would just…never appear.

Once again, she was trapped by her own greatness.

She shuddered and cradled herself, leaning forward towards the table.

Studying, student council work, and now two investigations…could she even do this alone?

She had to.

Sis did everything alone. She wielded a tremendous strength of will. That meant Makoto could too, if she worked just a little harder.

She allowed herself two minutes to curl up in that student council room and let the weight of her life crush her.

Then she got up, packed her bag, tidied the student council room, and headed for home.


	152. 5/11 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako and Haru confess.

“Nana-chan!”

Haru stood up from the garden bed and spread her arms wide in greeting. Nanako smiled and darted over to hug her.

“I missed you, Haru-senpai,” Nanako said. “Sorry I’ve been so busy lately.”

“Oh it’s no problem! I’m glad you’re here, though. I was thinking of pulling up this whole row and starting over…there’s something bad about the soil PH balance and I think it’s killing these poor darlings.”

“Let’s get to it, then.”

Nanako and Haru worked on the garden boxes for a while, diligently removing plants from the box, sorting out which ones could be saved, and then dumping out the soil and replacing it with new. It was hard work, but Nanako felt fulfilled.

“It’s so nice to get your hands dirty, isn’t it? It feels like I’m reconnecting with nature,” Haru said.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I like living in the city, but there are times where it feels like living in another dimension, especially compared to all the agriculture I was used to growing up with,” Nanako said.

“Ah, to live in the country…I’ve been daydreaming what it would be like to move out there…” Haru said. “I’m not sure I could make it work, though.”

“That’s surprising,” Nanako said. “I mean you could live anywhere, couldn’t you?”

Haru’s face turned glum. “It’s not that easy…”

Nanako chewed on her lower lip and looked at Haru. There was nervous twist in Nanako’s stomach. She didn’t want to do what she was about to do, but she had been thinking about it for days now, and she wasn’t sure there was another way around it.

“Um, Haru-senpai, I’m really sorry to ask you this, but…is your family name Okumura?”

Haru looked shocked. “Um, yes, it is. How did you find out?”

“I’m really sorry, Haru-senpai, I wasn’t trying to pry or spy or anything. Noriyaki-san told me the other day when I was over babysitting Mei-chan.”

“Oh, I see,” Haru said. Her face was difficult to read - pensive, a little sad, but a little relieved at the same time.

“We don’t need to talk about it anymore,” Nanako said. “It doesn’t matter to me who you are. I just like gardening with you and being your friend. But me knowing and not telling you that I knew felt dishonest.”

“No, no, I really appreciate you being honest with me, Nana-chan. I wish I had been more honest with you, but…”

“We already talked about this, remember? I understood then, and I understand now. I knew your life must have been complicated when you were just wealthy, but to be an Okumura on top of it? It must be really difficult,” Nanako said.

“Thanks…I’m glad you’re my friend, Nana-chan.”

“Me too. And I promise not to take advantage of you. Well, except maybe to get that trip to Destiny Land…”

They both laughed.

“It is really fun! Have you ever been?”

“No. Did you have a fun time over Golden Week?”

“Oh, I didn’t end up going,” Haru said with a slight sigh. “Apparently it’s too childish…”

“What!? Who said that!?”

Haru didn’t answer for a moment.

“My fiance.”

“You’re engaged!?”

Haru blushed. “Yes. I know it’s strange, isn’t it?”

“Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make a scene about it,” Nanako said.

“It’s all right. To be honest, it’s not that unusual for people in my social circle…even though we live in these modern times, there are still a lot of arranged marriages among the rich. My situation is the same. He’s the son of an influential politician.”

“Do you like him?” Nanako asked.

“…I’m trying to,” Haru said.

“I see. But he doesn’t like Destiny Land. Or strawberry cake.”

Haru looked shocked again. “Nanako, how did you…you truly are a remarkable person. You see through everything, don’t you?”

“Aha, well I didn’t mean to, it just sorta clicked in my head.”

“Don’t apologize for it, it’s an amazing skill,” Haru said. “Anyway, once I graduate high school I’m expected to get married pretty soon after…I might delay it a few years if I go to university, but there isn’t a reason I couldn’t go to university and be married. I haven’t really discussed it at length yet.”

“Ah, and it might be hard to live in the country if he doesn’t want to.”

“Yes.”

They worked in silence for a few more moments. Nanako worked on smoothing the soil, even though it didn’t need it. She mostly did it to keep the silence from being awkward.

“Do you want to see Inaba?”

“Hm?”

“The next time I go home, do you want to come with me? My parents already said I could invite friends over. I could show you around Inaba. We could visit the agricultural stores and meet some farmers if you want.”

“Really!? That would be amazing! Yes, I would love to go!”

Nanako smiled brightly. “Okay, great. I’ll let you know the next time I’m heading back.”

Haru suddenly darted forward and hugged Nanako again.

“Thank you, Nana-chan.”

=====

 **SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
** Hermit: Haru Okumura  
Level 3


	153. 5/11 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He never saw it coming.

The front door to LeBlanc crashed open, nearly knocking the bell off the door. 

“I came as soon as I could! What’s wrong!?” Ryuji yelled, his fists clenched, his face caught in between panic and battle-ready. Standing at the end of the coffee bar, Ren slipped off his glasses.

“Now!” 

Nanako, who had been hiding behind the bar near the pay phone, dove out and pressed herself against the door, arms spread wide.

“What the-…for real!? No way man, nuh uh!” Ryuji turned, plotting on how he was going to move Nanako out of the way. But before he could come up with a plan, a blur of black and white streaked through the air. 

“Got ‘em!” Morgana said, clinging onto Ryuji’s head. 

“Get off me, you stupid cat! I’m not staying!” 

“You have to! On your honor as a Phantom Thief! You’re gonna blow it for all of us!” Morgana said, struggling to keep a grip on Ryuji’s head without digging into his scalp with his claws. 

“Off!” Ryuji yelled, spinning around on one heel fast enough to throw Morgana off and into the booth. He turned his attention back to Nanako. 

Now that Nanako thought about it, Ryuji was probably a lot stronger than her…why was  she  in charge of holding the door!? 

“I’m coming through!”

“No you don’t!” Ann said, popping up from behind the bar. 

Crack!

To everyone’s surprise, Ann snapped out the practice whip that Sano had made for her. It looped perfectly around Ryuji’s waist and pulled him backwards into range of Ren’s arms. He draped his arm around his shoulders and leaned in.

“It’s too late, Ryuji. You’re already here, and you’re surrounded. You gotta stay study,’ Ren said. 

“But…I’m so tired of studying…I haaaaate iiiiit…” 

“It’s for your own good,” Ren insisted. “I made lots of coffee. Sit.” 

Ryuji sighed. “I hate all of you.” 

Nanako, and everyone else’s, knowledge improved. 


	154. 5/12 - Daytime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! The Phantom Thieves have to take exams for the next three days! Can you help them out? Let's see if you've been paying attention during the classroom scenes! 
> 
> Post your answers in the comments, then see how many you got right on 5/14. 
> 
> Here's some music to help you concentrate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp-1oFWnsxs

1\. What did Karl Jung call the version of ourselves that we present to the outside world? 

A. Shadow  
B. Persona  
C. Id  
D. Superego 

  
2\. What is the simplest man-made device that can break the sound barrier? 

A. Gun  
B. Bow and Arrow  
C. Whip  
D. Trebuchet 

  
3\. What is the traditional Japanese art form that uses only a fan as a prop? 

A. Rakugo  
B. Kabuki  
C. Taiko  
D. Origami

  
4\. When was "taiko" invented? 

A. 5th Century, BCE   
B. 5th Century, CE   
C. 1770s.  
D. 1950s. 

5\. The English word "gossip" being used as a noun is often attributed to which famous English author? 

A. Charles Dickens   
B. William Shakespeare   
C. Lewis Carroll  
D. George Orwell 


	155. 5/12 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Daughters of Cops

The Phantom Thieves assembled to their rooftop hideout.

“It actually worked! I’m so pumped up!” Ryuji said. He was leaning in a discarded chair, pumping his fist into the air.

“I have to admit, I’m pretty excited about it too,” Ann said. “We were really able to help someone out.”

“And there’s plenty more where that came from,” Morgana said. “The Phansite is full of these requests. Best of all, Mishima said he’d help filter through the requests and forward the best ones.”

“I still feel weird about using Mishima,” Nanako said.

“It’s a bit too late to do anything about it now,” Ren said from his leaning position on the air vent. “He’s only talking to me, and I’ll keep it that way, and I’ll keep things as obfuscated as possible.”

“I suppose he is really useful,” Nanako admitted. “Okay, we’ll leave that to you, then. Anything else good on the request board now?”

“Not yet,” Ren said. “Did anyone find any good possible targets?”

“I have a few ideas, but…” Nanako said, reaching into the Compendium to find her list. “I need to follow up on a few things first.”

She looked at the third name of the list - Konikazu Okumura. Haru’s father.

Then she clicked open a pen and crossed it off.

“Well that’s better than me. I’ve been racking my brain and the internet for days and I have nothing,” Ann said.

“Me too. Though it doesn’t help some people waste all my time studying…”

“It wasn’t a waste,” Nanako insisted. “Look me in the eye and tell me that you didn’t do better on the exams today.”

Ryuji grumbled and folded his arms, but didn’t say any more.

The clatter-squeak of the roof door caused all of the thieves to turn their heads. Morgana leapt back into Ren’s bag.

Standing in the doorway was another student, wearing a long-sleeved turtle neck and a black vest over her uniform plaid skirt. She had brown hair cut in a bob and piercing crimson eyes. She walked onto the roof with an air of authority. Nanako had never seen her before, but she figured she must be a third year.

“This place is off-limits, you know,” she began. Ann and Ryuji looked on edge. Ryuji sat up in his chair and let out an aloof grunt.

“We’ll leave when we’re done chatting,” he said. “What brings you up here anyway, Miss Student Council President?”

Ah, so this must be Makoto Nijima. Nanako had seen the name in conjunction with the student council president, but had never put a face to it. Nanako studied Nijima carefully. She walked with an incredible amount of poise and control. Her physique was also deceptively toned - she was probably much stronger than she looked, from some sort of training. She reminded Nanako of Chie when she was in high school.

“The troublemaker, the student of rumor, and the infamous transfer students…that’s an interesting combination,” Nijima pointed out.

Nanako knew in a flash.

Nijima was looking for the Phantom Thieves. And she had already gotten very, very close. She glanced over at Ren, who was still leaning against the vent, his glasses and hair covering his face, looking very meek and harmless.

“What kind of way is that to start a conversation…” Ann muttered. Nanako could see the anger was rising in Ann with each passing second.

“By the way…” Nijima said, directing her attention at Ren. “You seemed to get to know Kamoshida-sensei pretty well.”

“Who?” Ren asked.

For the first time since she entered the rooftop, Nijima had a flash of emotion - clear annoyance.

“Don’t play dumb with me.”

“He’s only been here a month. He obviously didn’t have that much interaction with Kamoshida,” Ann snapped.

“I find that highly unlikely. After all, it was a volleyball team member who went around spreading the details of your criminal record throughout the school. That must’ve made you angry, coming out here trying to start over and your past trailing right behind you,” Nijima said.

“It made me angry,” Nanako cut in. “After all, isn’t the school supposed to protect the privacy of students? What right did Kamoshida have to violate that?”

Nijima turned her attention to Nanako.

“You almost joined the volleyball team, didn’t you?”

“It seems it was a good thing that I didn’t, considering the higher-ups at this school have no interest in protecting their students,” Nanako said. “I wonder if that goes for the student council as well.”

Nijima’s eyes narrowed and anger flashed on her face. “I can assure you, the student council and the administration of this school would never have let something like that happen if the knew about it.”

“You found out about who let Ren’s past out pretty quickly,” Nanako pointed out.

Something in Nijima’s stance changed. It was as if she had been completely ignoring Nanako at first, not thinking her a threat. But now Nanako had painted herself as a danger, and was now Nijima’s focus.

“Maybe I was wrong. Maybe it was you. You and he went to the same high school in Yasoinaba, didn’t you? Who better to know the details of his past than you?”

“Are you trying to imply I have no loyalty to my friends, or are you trying to stir up my loyalty in hopes that I’ll get angry and say something rash?” Nanako asked. “Both are pretty decent techniques, but they won’t work if the subject already knows them.”

“Subject? Interesting choice of words. You sound like a cop.”

“So do you. Is that normal? Do they train student council presidents in the city to be interrogators?” Nanako asked. “Or is that because you grew up with law enforcement around you?”

This one seemed to catch Nijima off-guard. Heck, it caught Nanako off guard when she said it, but she knew it was correct. The “Dojima Instincts” again?

“Let’s try a different direciton,” Nijima said. “What are you doing on the roof without permission?”

“I’m the vice president of the gardening club, I’m giving prospective members a tour. Now how about a question of my own - what is this all about? Why are you harassing us with these unwarranted questions?”

“It’s in the interest of the student council to help the student body feel at ease. There are many people upset and affected by the events of the last few weeks. Especially with the calling card style posts that were made in the hallway. Some students are concerned that perhaps other students were involved. It would be best if we found the truth of that as soon as possible so we can restore calm and safety. Don’t you agree?” Nijima asked.

“There are no students concerned about that,” Nanako accused.

“And you’re not really giving a tour of the gardening club.”

“You have no evidence,” Nanako said.

“Neither do you.”

Stalemate. Nanako struggled to find more words, struggled to find the way out.

“I think I’d like to grow some cauliflower,” Ren said. “It’s one of my favorites.”

Nijima narrowed her eyes and glanced at the assembled thieves.

“If you really are joining the gardening club, then I expect the proper paperwork be filled out and turned in to the student council room. And I will assume that if you come back to this roof, it will be for the club meetings, with all in attendance, including your president,” Nijima said.

“Sure, yeah. We’ll get right on it,” Ryuji said. “Don’t you have some more students to harass?”

Nijima turned away, clenching her fists.

“Try to understand the position I’m in…to have to spend my time investigating this nonsense…”

She strode away quickly, slamming the door open on her way out.

“She dangerous,” Morgana said, poking her head out of Ren’s bag.

“She’s figured us out,” Ren said.

“But damn, Nanako…remind me not to piss you off or hide things from you,” Ryuji muttered. Ann stood up and put a hand on Nanako’s shoulder.

“You okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. But Morgana’s right, she’s very clever. We can’t meet here anymore.”

“Phantom Thieves should move their hideouts anyway,” Ren said, his cunning Joker smile peeking out beneath his glasses. “Right, Mona?”

“Definitely. We’ll find a new place and let you know.”

“We better head home for now,” Ann suggested.

“Yeah,” Ryuji said.

They all left, one by one. Nanako lingered at the end, looking at the raised beds.

“Cauliflower, huh?”

She made a mental note.


	156. 5/12 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako and Naoto.

Nanako turned the corner to the street that would take her home, two cheap plastic bags hanging from her fingers. She had been running low on a few necessities - toothpaste, pencils, that sort of thing - and popped out to grab them from the nearby store. The other bag was just snacks.

Nanako stopped about a dozen feet away from the front door.

The short figure stood with her hands in the pockets of her lightweight coat. Her short blue hair hung behind her head as she stared up at the building, as if she could somehow deduce what was going on inside by staring up at it. She was standing in the circle of the streetlight, the yellow tint casting a nostalgic glow on her face.

She looked forlorn, Nanako decided. She stared up at the building the way someone might stare up at the sky and pray for answers.

“Hi, Naoto.”

“Oh! Nanako!” Naoto said, stumbling backwards a few steps. A pedestrian behind her blustered by, grunting a half-apology as he kept moving along. Naoto spun on one foot, arms flailing as she tried to regain balance.

Nanako rushed in and caught her arm.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Naoto said, blushing as she pulled her arm from Nanako’s grasp.

“Did you want to come up? Big bro is home, everyone’s just having a quiet evening at home so you wouldn’t be interrupting anything,” Nanako said.

“I uh…I don’t…no, that’s all right. I just happened to be passing by and was considering dropping in, but I think I’ll just call him later.”

Nanako had to make a quick decision. On the one hand, maybe it was better to let the two of them sort this out on their own. Yu and Naoto’s relationship had been an intense one, especially with a formal engagement. Nanako remembered being so happy when she found out. She had even started calling Naoto “big sis.”

Then one day it was all over.

That had been over two years ago. As clueless as Nanako was about relationships now, she was even more clueless back then, and she didn’t understand the intricacies of their break up, and what that would mean for them moving forward. Apparently it was even more complicated than she thought, if they were still this awkward around each other even years later. It would be wise to leave it alone. 

But.

Yu had moved on. Had Naoto? Was she stuck? And was there anyone willing to give her the push she needed to get out?

Besides, there was something she wanted to ask her.\

“Well, if you’re not busy…do you think we could talk a little? There’s been something on my mind,” Nanako said.

“Oh, uh…here?”

“We don’t have to, if you don’t want. There’s a nice little diner not too far from here,” Nanako suggested.

“Okay. I suppose that’ll be fine,” Naoto replied.

“Great, let’s go!”

It only took a few minutes to get to the diner on Central Street and climb up the stairs. The Phantom Thieves’ favorite booth, the one right by the front, was open, so Nanako took it, dropping her bag and plastic bags on the seat beside her. Naoto slipped quietly into the seat opposite.

“I’m still not quite used to the fact that you’re taller than me,” Naoto said. “Though I suppose you have been so for some time.”

“It’s a good thing Kanji is around to always be the tallest,” Nanako added. Naoto smiled. A waitress came by and took their drink orders - green tea for Nanako, black coffee for Naoto.

“So, what’s going on?” Naoto asked once the drinks arrived.

“It’s about what you said to me at the hospital…about my ‘Dojima talent’ or whatever,” Nanako said.

“Hm? What about it?”

“Well, I’ve been trying to use it some. Just…be more observant, follow my instincts, that sort of thing. And it’s been working, too. I just wonder…”

Nanako let her eyes fall shut as she remembered details of the afternoon. Makoto Nijima, her quick eyes, sharp mind, and cold face. She was a formidable opponent, and the more that Nanako thought about it, the more she realized that Nijima was probably a step ahead of her in terms of deductive ability. After all, Nanako had just been pushing buttons and playing obfuscation…but Nijima had narrowed down the potential identities of the Phantom Thieves within a week.

Part of Nanako was lit up with a fire of rivalry. She wanted to get faster, smarter, quicker, more clever - to be able to outpace Nijima’s mind and win in every mental duel.

But part of Nanako was afraid. Nijima had asked those questions so callously. Like she was a robot.

“I guess I’m just wondering if learning to think like that has negative side effects. Like, on my personality and my ability to empathize or have fun or…I don’t know how to explain it…”

“You’re wondering if you’ll end up like me,” Naoto said.

Nanako’s eyes shot open.

“No, no, I didn’t mean that at all! I swear, I was thinking of someone else! Honestly!”

Naoto’s expression was unreadable - mostly because Nanako was in a panic that she might have offended Naoto. A moment passed and Naoto let a sly smile cross her face as she sipped her coffee.

“I believe you, Nanako,” she said. Nanako let out a breath, resting a hand on her chest. She could feel her heart thundering behind her ribs.

“But,” Naoto added, “that doesn’t make my statement any less true. I’m self-aware enough to know my faults, Nanako. What makes me an incredible detective is also what prevents me from connecting with others very well.”

“I’m sorry, really,” Nanako said, unable to shake off the guilt clutching to her heart.

“It’s really all right. It used to be a lot worse. Before I met Yu and the others, I had doomed myself to living a lonely existence, useful only to those who wanted my brain to solve the puzzles. Now I have friends. And I fell in love, once. And I believe that might be possible again…someday…but…”

Naoto stared into her mug, searching for words from the rising steam.

“Those of us who solve puzzles as quickly as we do, those of us whose minds are always seeking the answers…sometimes we can’t turn it off. That is certainly true for myself. My mind is always working on the puzzle of whatever case I’m working. And if there isn’t a case, then it’s looking for puzzles to solve. It’s an insatiable beast that must be fed. If I leave it hungry, I become irritable, sometimes even depressed. And because I can never stop, it makes being around me a bit…draining.”

“Maybe there’s…”

“There isn’t,” Naoto said, cutting Nanako off. “Believe me, we tried all sorts of things. Meditation. Prayer. Medication. Alcohol. Nothing worked. My brain is too powerful to be turned off. I am who I am, and I have come to accept it.”

“Is…this why you and big bro…?”

“One of the reasons,” she said. “In some ways he’s the same. As goofy and weird as Yu is on the outside, there’s an intensity inside him that cannot be doused. However, I believe he can turn it off - or at least ignore it for a while - and enjoy the moment. He used to be able to bring that out in me too, but…after a while…our work lives and our personal lives became too intertwined. It was no one’s fault.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pried,” Nanako said.

“It’s all right. I feel like I should have told you this a long time ago. I did just sort of disappear from everyone one day, only to reconvene at awkward Christmas parties,” Naoto said with a rueful smile. “But this isn’t about me, is it? This is about you. And I don’t think you’ll have the same problem I do. You’re able to enjoy the moments in life, thanks in large part to the childhood you had. You should be very grateful for that, I know that everyone in your life has fought hard to give you that sort of life…including myself.”

Naoto sipped her coffee before continuing.

“If you do not want to hone your natural detective senses, then you shouldn’t. You have many other skills and traits you can use to make your way in the world. The important thing is that you live a happy life, and if being able to think like that is making you cynical, then it’s not worth it.”

Nanako thought about everything Naoto said for several minutes. They sat in a comfortable silence, Naoto perfectly content to let Nanako have the time she needed to think. Finally, Nanako spoke.

“You said that empathy was important.”

“I did.”

“To be honest, sometimes I think my empathy is more of a danger than my observational skills. I mean…I came all the way out here for a boy I hardly knew, because I felt bad for him.”

“Not many others would do that,” Naoto admitted. “Do you regret that choice?”

“No, not at all. But it could’ve gone badly. Maybe honing my detective skills will keep my empathy in check…or perhaps they’ll both just drag me off into situations I could have avoided. But at least I’ll know I’ve done it through following my strengths rather than being dragged along by my weaknesses.”

“An admirable decision, Nanako.”

They raised their glasses and clinked them together, then sipped.

“Out of curiosity, if it wasn’t me you were thinking of…who was it?”

Nanako took another sip to try and buy some time. She had forgotten that Naoto wasn’t going to let a single detail slip by.

“Just our student council president. She was getting stupidly nitpicky about who was allowed onto the roof. I am, because I’m part of the gardening club, but since my friends weren’t yet, she was getting on my case about paperwork and…well, we kinda got into a little debate. She’s quick and clever but also a little cold.”

“Mm, I see,” Naoto said, smiling with amusement, which is what Nanako was hoping for. Naoto was interpreting the events as simple high school drama. “I’m sure she means well. Your school must be going through a lot.”

“Yeah,” Nanako said. “I’m glad Yosuke is around, though. I feel like he’ll be a good influence on the rest of the school.”

“Let’s hope so,” Naoto said.

=====

 **SOCIAL LINK RANK UP  
** Justice: Naoto Shirogane  
Level 2


	157. 5/13 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone watches.

“Uuuugh I hate exams so much,” Ann complained. “It’s so boring and exhausting at the same time. I hate concentrating for that long.”

Ann and Nanako were in the underground mall, browsing through Body Chop Cosmetics. Ann said shopping was the only way she was going to recover from the second day of mid-term exams. Nanako volunteered to tag along. Even she was starting to get tired of studying.

“Smell this one,” Nanako offered a bar of soap made of kiwi fruit. Ann breathed it in.

“Ooh, I like it! And it says it’s from New Zealand. You should get it, it’s a good scent for you.”

“Really? I don’t know,” Nanako said, weighing the bar in her hand. “What about this?”

Ann smelled the next one. “Mm, passionfruit. But that’s not you at all.”

“Do you have a signature scent?” Nanako asked.

“I used to be really into vanilla,” Ann said. “But then last year Shiho bought me this lavender oil and I’ve been kinda obsessed with it. I’m wearing it now, come here.”

Ann brushed one of her pigtails over her shoulder and leaned her elegant neck towards Nanako. Nanako felt a little bit of a blush settle on her cheeks as she leaned so closely to Ann and smelled her. It was a bit more intimate than she had expected to get with her.

“It’s nice. And it suits you,” Nanako said. Ann flipped her pigtail back into place.

“I know, right? Shiho really has excellent taste.”

“How is she doing, by the way?”

“She good. Lucky that she doesn’t have to take exams…”

“Ann!”

Ann put a hand to her mouth and laughed into it. “It’s okay Nanako, I said that joke to her face and she laughed. I guess we’re both trying to laugh since…well, what else can we do?”

“That’s still pretty dark…” Nanako said, feeling a little scandalized.

“Shiho may look sweet, but she’s always had a dark sense of humor,” Ann said. Then her face grew serious. “Though…maybe that’s why she did what she did…”

“She’s doing fine now though, right? I mean, she has you, how can she fail?” Nanako said, interrupting Ann’s potential spiral into sadder thoughts.

“Yeah, you’re right. So, do you think you’re gonna go kiwi? I wonder what kind of smells Ren likes…”

“I-I wouldn’t know,” Nanako said quickly.

“I’ll just text and ask him.”

“No!”

Ann held her phone up above her head while Nanako took swipes at it. Ann spun around to shield her phone, cradling it by her stomach while Nanako tried to grab it. They laughed the whole time.

“Excuse me, would you two keep it down in here?” the middle aged woman behind the counter said, clearly annoyed. “This isn’t a playground.”

“Sorry, we’ll go,” Nanako said with a bow. Ann rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, we’ll go. We were gonna buy stuff, but forget it now.”

They wandered out the entrance and into the main walkway of the underground mall. Nanako laughed.

“You’re so vicious, Ann. I don’t have it in me to give it to people like that.”

“Eh, I don’t know if it’s a good trait or not. I’m starting to realize that maybe I have more of a temper than I realized…”

Ann trailed off, looking in either direction, suddenly taking a step closer to Nanako.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know it just…feels like I’m being watched…I’ve felt like that a lot lately.”

“A stalker?” Nanako asked. She felt her perception switch, as if her mind went from ‘fun’ to ‘detective’ mode. Her eyes carefully, but subtly, started scanning each face in the crowd. Ann was a model, after all, it was possible for someone to be looking at her because they recognized her. Or because she was beautiful. But models also had their share of stalkers, and it was important not to take it lightly.

“I don’t know,” Ann whispered.

“Okay. Here’s what we’re gonna do. You say goodbye to me, and you head straight for the stairs back up to the station. Walk casually. I’ll stay here and watch. If I yell, make a break for the station, don’t look back.”

“What about you?”

“They’re not looking at me, so it’ll be fine. This will flush them out.”

“Okay. Here we go.” Ann took a step back and said in a terribly obvious voice “Okay, Nanako-chan, it was a lot of fun shopping with you today. However, I forgot I had another commitment, so I must go right away. Goodbye.”

Nanako sighed to herself. Hopefully she stuck with modeling and not acting…

Ann turned and walked away steadily. Nanako watched the crowd carefully. It was busy and crowded, but once Ann got to a certain point the stalker would have to make some sort of unnatural move.

There!

A figure turned out from the crowd and quickly started walking after Ann. Nanako couldn’t see anything specific at this range, but the movement was clear. Nanako started rushing forward. As long as the stalker didn’t pick up speed, Ann would be safe, but Nanako could get a clear view. She slipped around one salaryman talking loudly on his phone, ducked between a couple of middle school boys, and then pressed past a middle-aged woman having an argument with her elementary aged daughter.

Now! There was an opening! Nanako burst forward to close the distance.

“Hmm, hmm, what an interesting article this is…” the person said loudly into her book.

“Hi, Nijima-senpai,” Nanako said equally as loudly. Nijima looked up from the large book she was using as cover and feigned surprise.

“Ah, hello there, Dojima-san…you know it’s not always a great idea to stop on the way home to random shops while still in uniform,” Nijima said, trying to use an air of authority to hide the obvious nerves that were creeping into her voice.

“Are you keeping tabs on us?” Nanako asked directly.

“W-what? Nonsense, I have much more important things to do than follow random students around,” Nijima said.

“Mmhm. Like read that book.”

“Yes.”

“That book on…is that a manga collection?”

“I uh…” Nijima looked at the cover. “Yes, I suppose it is.”

“I didn’t take you for a manga fan,” Nanako said.

“I can have…lots of interests…”

“What’s your favorite one?”

“I’m sorry, Dojima-san, but I must be going.”

Nijima shut her manga and turned on her heel, striding towards the station.

 _Pi pi pi_.

 **ANN:** Anything?  
 **NANAKO:** It was Nijima.  
 **ANN:** Ugh, she’s keeping tabs on us now?   
**NANAKO:** At least she’s bad at it. And all she saw was us shopping.   
**ANN:** Well, I’m relieved it wasn’t anything else.   
**ANN:** I’ll wait for you at the top. Then I better head home.  
 **NANAKO:** Yeah, I’ll go with you.


	158. 5/13 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako calls Ren.

Nanako sat on the couch.

There was a heist movie on TV - _Pillaging the Sauna of Manliness_ \- and it was terrible. Made in 1972, the story follows a group of thieves who need to swipe a notebook from a bank president while he’s in a sauna. The notebook has the combination to the main vault, so they need to use it to steal the money, then replace it before the bank president finishes his time in the sauna and notices it.

It was stupid, but it was just the sort of mindless sound and motion that Nanako needed to help her unwind from the day. The only good part of the movie so far was the mastermind, a handsome guy with poofy 70s style hair but a really nice smile. The curly volume of his hair reminded her of someone, though.

She called.

“Hey,” Ren said. “You’re on speaker with Morgana.”

“What’re you guys up to?” Nanako asked, hugging a pillow from the couch while she leaned her cheek on the screen of her phone.

“Making tools,” Ren said.

“And it would be going better if someone would listen to my instructions more carefully,” Morgana chastised.

“Hey, you have to admit I’m getting better,” Ren said.

“I suppose you are a good pupil. You’re fortunate to have such an excellent teacher,” Morgana added. Nanako laughed.

“What are you up to?” Ren asked.

“Watching a terrible heist movie.”

“Getting ideas?”

“No, just trying to keep my brain in a numbed stupor,” Nanako said. “Which is why I called you!”

“Ha, ha,” Ren said flatly, though Nanako thought she could hear a smile in his voice.“By the way, thanks for helping me trap Ryuji into studying the other day.”

“No problem. I probably would have done it myself, so it wasn’t a big deal.”

“Oh?”

“What do you mean ‘oh’,” Nanako said.

“I didn’t know you and Ryuji were that close.”

“I wouldn’t say ‘close,’ I just think he sells himself short when it comes to his studies. I promised I’d help him study a bit, that’s all”

“Oh.”

“There’s that ‘oh’ again,” Nanako said, sitting up. “…Wait, are you jealous?”

“What would I have to be jealous about?”

“I don’t know, me spending time with him,” Nanako said.

“Is that something worth getting jealous over?” Ren asked.

“I mean, in certain situations, I guess,” Nanako said.

“What kind?”

“What do you mean what kind, you know what kind,” Nanako said, her frown growing deeper, her irritation rising.

“Obviously I don’t if I’m asking you,” Ren said, his own irritation starting to show in his voice.

“Oh my God, you are being ridiculous. Forget I said anything.”

“Gladly. You’re the one bringing up stupid things about being jealous.”

“Ugh!”

Nanako hung up.

Then threw the pillow on the ground.

Then kicked it.

“Why is he so impossible sometimes!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized that in Chapter 148, I forgot to make a mention of Madarame during the final shadow collapse in Mementos. I went back an added a reference (it's like 5 whole words, so you don't have to go back and read it) but just FYI because you guys are super smart and notice all the details.


	159. 5/14 - EXAM ANSWERS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to see how well you did! Compare your result with what the characters got for these 5 questions and then post your results!
> 
> 5 Correct - Nanako  
> 4 Correct - Ren  
> 3 Correct - Ann  
> 2 Correct - Ryuji  
> 1 Correct - Mishima  
> 0 Correct - Flashy Student

1\. What did Karl Jung call the version of ourselves that we present to the outside world?

**B. Persona**

2\. What is the simplest man-made device that can break the sound barrier?

**C. Whip**

3\. What is the traditional Japanese art form that uses only a fan as a prop?

**A. Rakugo**

4\. When was "taiko" invented?

**D. 1950s.**

5\. The English word "gossip" being used as a noun is often attributed to which famous English author?

**B. William Shakespeare**


	160. 5/14 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yusuke.

“Gaah, come on, seriously? The posts are getting lamer and lamer and less and less frequent. We’re never gonna find a target this way…” Ryuji grumbled. The four of them were on the train, and Ryuji was looking at his phone while leaning against one of the rails. Ren sat with Mona and his bag in his lap, with Ann standing between the seated Ren and Nanako, who held one of the overhead railings.

“Ryuji, you’re being too loud,” Morgana said. “People can hear you.”

“Ah, like they’re gonna figure out what I’m talking about,” Ryuji said. “You guys have any more ideas?”

He looked between Nanako and Ren.

They were both looking away from each other.

“Read the room, Ryuji,” Ann hissed.

“Huh?”

“These two are working through something,” Morgana explained.

“Really? You guys are fighting?”

“No.”

Both Nanako and Ren said it at the same time, both leaning on the word with tremendous emphasis. Ryuji raised his hands in surrender.

“Yeesh, I think I’ll just stay out of this one…”

“Nanako,” Ann whispered, tugging at Nanako’s sleeve. Nanako let out an exasperated sigh. She was sure Ann was going to try and help smooth things over with Ren, but Nanako honestly wasn’t ready to be done being angry at Ren yet. She looked over at her, trying to keep her face as irritated as possible.

And then she saw the fear in Ann’s blue eyes.

“It’s that guy…from before…”

“Huh? From yesterday? But it was Niijima-”

“No, no, I swear, I wanted to think it was Niijima too, but I recognize him this time. I saw him there yesterday, and I’ve seen him for a few days.”

The train came to a stop at the station and the boys got off. Nanako went with Ann, close to her side, and navigated everyone onto the escalator. She grabbed Ryuji by the wrist and pulled him on, since he was lollygagging.

“Hey, what’s the rush?” Ryuji grumbled.

“I think there’s a stalker following me,” Ann said with intensity.

Ryuji yawned.

“Gee, thanks,” Ann said, rolling her eyes.

“It’s fine. We’ll do the same thing as yesterday. I’ll split off left at the top, Ryuji you go right, Ann keep walking steadily. When he makes a move towards you, we’ll converge in. And Ren you’ll-”

Nanako looked up at the escalator. Ren was gone.

“What the…that…”

“Hey, it’s almost time, we good?” Ryuji said, cracking his knuckles.

“Easy, we’re not gonna beat him up. Yet.”

The top of the escalator was approaching. Nanako could deal with her ever-growing disappointment with Ren later - right now she had to help keep Ann safe.

“Okay, well, see ya later! Have a safe walk home!” Nanako declared when she got to the top of the escalator. Ann waved and kept walking while Ryuji turned without saying a word. Nanako took a few steps to the side of the entrance and waited.

A guy. Someone that Ann would be able to pick out of the crowd. Someone moving with intention and with a demeanor that might otherwise make a young girl uncomfortable.

There!

It didn’t match the picture Ann had in her head. In fact, the figure approaching her was rather lithe and graceful. Young, too, probably her own age. But not all stalkers were creepy middle-aged men. If Ann felt uncomfortable, then that was enough. Besides, he was heading straight for her.

“All out attack!” Ryuji cried.

Ann spun around while Nanako and Ryuji rushed in from either side to form a quick protective wall between Ann and the intruder.

Nanako looked.

He was beautiful. Long blue hair, graceful refined features, a figure that was fragile like a bird.

He was also familiar.

“You’re…” Nanako said, tapping her chin. “Wait, you’re the guy who looked at the rain that one time.”

“I’m…sorry?” the young man replied. “Have we met?”

“Hey, that’s not what’s important here! Who the hell are you?” Ryuji demanded.

“Kitagawa Yusuke, Kosei High School, Fine Arts Program, Year 2.”

The voice came from a half-dozen steps behind the young man. It was Ren, holding an ID card between his first two fingers. The young man, Kitagawa, spun around.

“How did you…ah, my ID!”

“You dropped this,” Ren said, holding out a wallet. Kitagawa reached out and collected it from Ren’s hands, all the while Nanako stared in amazement. She hadn’t seen Ren do _any_ of that - move away, into position, steal the wallet, then appear right where he was. It was an incredible show of skill.

It was also pointlessly showy and for some reason it impressed and irked her all at once. Why did he have to go through all the theatrics, why didn’t he just come right out and say what was on his mind!

…Was she complaining about how he dealt with Kitagawa, or with her phone call last night?

“Why were you following our friend?” Ryuji said, continuing to keep on his intimidating tough-guy tone.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t meant to cause any concern…I was just so taken by your beauty, miss. I became so overwhelmed by it that I couldn’t think of anything else…my heart was filled up with an emotion so deep and powerful that it spurred me to action before any sense of rationality could still me. And I’m glad it did not. For life is about seizing opportunity, and I must seize what is in front of me!”

“Um…okay…” Ann said.

“I must ask you…will you…”

“Oh come on, I see right through this pal, you’re not gonna go and-” Ryuji started.

“Will you be the model for my next portrait?”

Everyone stopped and stared.

“Portrait…?”

“Yes. I am an artist studying under the master Japanese artist Madarame, and as your friend there mentioned, a student at Kosei High School. I’m in need of a new subject for my next work and I think you would be perfect. And exquisite model to take my work to the true level of fine art!”

“Fine art…?” Ann said, sounding a little hesitant and star struck all at once.

“Yeah, okay buddy, we’re not buying it,” Ryuji said, taking a step forward. “What’s next, a contract where she has to pay you in advance for the portrait? A loan you need to take out to buy paints and canvas? This has gotta be a scam, right?”

“Yusuke, there you are.”

A kindly old man leaned his head out of the back of a black car.

“Sensei!”

“I wondered what happened to you when you bolted out of the car like that. But I see the power of youth and the pursuit of true beauty are alive and well in you,” the older man said. He then leaned back and started laughing.

“The hell?” Ryuji said.

“That’s the famous Japanese artist Madarame,” Nanako said. “I saw him being interviewed on Good Morning Japan yesterday.”

“So he’s…for real?” Ryuji said, looking at Kitagawa skeptically.

“Seems so,” Nanako said.

“This meeting has not gone very smoothly,” Kitagawa indicated. He reached into his wallet and handed Ann a ticket. “If you are at all interested, then please come see sensei’s exhibit. I’ll be there on Sunday helping out. You can see sensei’s artistry and skill and what I hope you’ll help me attain. Oh, and here’s a spare for your friend. Now that I think of it, we did speak once before, didn’t we? In the rain?”

“Yes,” Nanako said. Kitagawa bowed slightly.

“Then you probably have an eye for art appreciation as well. I do hope you’ll join us.”

The horn honked on the car.

“We have to go, Yusuke.”

“Coming, sensei!” Kitagawa bowed. “It was nice meeting you.”

He rushed off and slipped into the car. It pulled smoothly into traffic and vanished.

“Can you believe that guy? What a sleaze.” Ryuji said.

“Obviously after Lady Ann’s honor and integrity! The nerve of him!” Morgana declared.

“You’re not gonna go, are you?” Ryuji asked.

“I think I might…” Ann said. “I’ll have to think about it.”

“Huh? Really?”

“We can go too,” Ren said, holding two fingers up once again. This time a pair of tickets were balanced between them. “He dropped these.”

Nanako rolled her eyes.

“You can’t steal your way through all your problems,” Nanako said.

“Really? Because we are…you know…the Phantom…” Ren said, letting the sentence hang in the air for Nanako to finish.

“Come on Ann, let’s go home,” Nanako said, grasping her friend’s arm ad pulling her down the street.


	161. 5/14 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sisterhood of Twin Tails

“Are you really gonna go to that art thing?” Nanako asked Ann a few hours later. They were at Nanako’s place, sitting at the table and munching away at snacks.

“Yeah, I am. I mean it’s just modeling, but…it’s a different type of modeling. Like…’fine art’ is a big deal, right? This might go in a museum or something someday. I feel like it would be more meaningful. If he’s good, that is.”

“He has to be, right? I mean, I’m sure world famous artists don’t just take on random people,” Nanako pointed out.

“I guess we’ll find out…besides, there’s something else that’s been bothering me about this situation. Didn’t Nakanohara mention Madarame?”

“He did?”

“Yeah. He said his name. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but it’s too unique to be a coincidence, right? That’s gotta be him,” Ann said.

“So…you think this Madarame might be a possible target?”

Ann shrugged. “I dunno. But we don’t have any other leads, so what could it hurt to pursue it?”

“I guess so. I’ll go with you, if you want. When I was watching the interview on TV, there was one picture in particular I wanted to see in person.”

“That’d be great. I wouldn’t really want to go alone anyway…though I guess the guys could come…”

Nanako shrugged and opened up another snack bag. “If they want. Ryuji’s gonna be bored.”

“I bet Ren appreciates art.”

“Wouldn’t know. Didn’t ask. Wouldn’t get a straight answer from him even if I did.”

“Come on, Nanako, are you really that mad at him?” Ann pushed.

“Yes. No. Maybe. I don’t know.”

Their conversation stopped with the sounds of keys in the front door. Nanako peered over and saw Yu and Rise walking through the front.

“Hello!” Yu said, giving a friendly wave.

“Oh hey there Ann-chan,” Rise said, smiling. Then she stopped smiling. “Uh oh, there’s a girl-talk problem brewing here.”

“Huh?” Yu said, confused.

“You gotta go,” Rise said, leaning against his back, shoving him with both hands.

“What, seriously? We just got home! I need to pee!”

“This is too important! Girl talk is occurring and we can’t have any boys around!”

I can just stay in the bedroom!”

“No, too close! Go to Yosuke’s for a while! Pee in his toilet!”

“Waaah, goodbye Nanako, good luuuuuuuuck~” Yu said, making his voice sound like he was falling down a well as Rise slammed the door shut on him.

“Uh, I mean, big bro can stay and-”

“He’s fine,” Rise said, sweeping into an empty chair. “Let the Sisterhood of Twin Tails convene!”

“Oh, huh, I guess we do all have similar hairstyles,” Ann said.

“Because it’s the best one!” Rise declared. “Okay, seriously though, let’s figure this out. What’s going on?”

Nanako back-tracked to the night before and their awkward argument that Nanako still didn’t really understand. Was he jealous of Ryuji? If so, why deny being jealous? Why go out of his way to insist he wasn’t jealous?

“When I did this crazy thing of following him to Tokyo, I was worried he’d end up thinking I was a weirdo. Now we’re past that, and definitely friends, but…I just feel like I can’t get a straight answer out of him, sometimes. I thought part of it was me going back to Inaba and giving him bad memories, but I don’t think it has to do with that. Maybe he doesn’t like me? But then I get vibes off of him that he does and…I don’t know.”

Nanako slumped on the table, resting her chin on her folded arms.

“I’m confused.”

“The first thing you have to understand is you can’t hold him to relationship standards if you’re not in a defined relationship,” Rise stated, a small blush rising on her cheeks. “I uh…kinda learned that one the hard way. When I first met Yu, I was pretty aggressive, and I…sometimes got upset about things, even though we weren’t technically dating. I didn’t have a right to be that possessive over him when we weren’t in a relationship. I either thought that it was cute and would help me win him over, or I was being insecure. Probably both.”

“You think I’m doing that?” Nanako asked, looking up from her slumped position.

“Maybe a little. Not as badly as I used to, but you did accuse him of being jealous when you’re not in a dating relationship.”

“That’s true…” Nanako said. “Now I feel stupid.”

“I don’t think you need to feel stupid,” Rise said. “Everything is a learning experience. I bet you stumbled a bit with your first boy, eh Ann-chan?”

“Oh, I’ve never had a boyfriend or anything like that,” Ann said.

“Really? Huh, you’re so pretty and friendly, I figured you would’ve nabbed some sort of guy by now…well, anyway, you’ve seen them together, Ann-chan, what do you think?”

Ann shifted in her chair, a little uncomfortable.

“I think they’re cute together, and I think they’re very alike in a lot of ways. I definitely got vibes off of Ren. But…maybe they’re not exactly compatible in some important areas?”

“Like what?” Rise asked.

“You’re the wise relationship expert, shouldn’t you tell us?” Ann asked.

“I don’t know Ren, so I can only offer so much,” Rise pointed out. “Just give your best interpretation.”

“Well, Nanako is very open and honest about her feelings, and Ren isn’t. Maybe that part is too important for Nanako to overlook? Maybe she needs a guy that is a lot more heart-on-his-sleeve?”

“Hm, a good point. What do you think, Nanako?”

“I don’t know,” Nanako admitted. “I hadn’t really thought of that…I guess I never really sat down and figured out what kind of guy would be ideal for me. That seems sort of…I don’t know, unromantic.”

“I know how you feel,” Rise said. “But there can be a middle ground, can’t there? Spontaneous romance, but filtered through a list of traits that come from understanding yourself?”

“Living with a contradiction,” Nanako said.

“Sure, that makes sense. What about you, Ann-chan? Do you have particular things you look for?”

“Oh, um, I mean, I guess…a sense of humor, and loyalty and quiet strength and determination. I think those qualities are really admirable,” Ann said.

“Ah, good ones! You have high standards, but you totally deserve them. Now what about you Nanako?”

“I don’t know…I think I need some time to think about it.”

“Fair enough,” Rise said, crossing her arms. “Yes, I think that’s your answer. Think about whether or not Ann-chan is right, and whether you need someone who is more expressive with their feelings. What a great victory for the Sisterhood of Twin Tails!”

They all laughed.

“Now, who wants to go out and get crepes?”

“Really? I mean, I don’t want to intrude,” Ann said.

“I insist that you come along,” Rise said.

The sisterhood of twin tails went out to get crepes.


	162. 5/15 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako faces herself. Sorta.

“It’s over…” Ryuji said, gasping as if he had just come out from underwater. In reality, he had just stepped off the train and into the Shibuya station, leading the rest of the Phantom Thieves onto the platform.

“It’s over!” Ann said, a bit more jubiliant.

“It’s over,” Ren said with a nod.

“We did it!” Nanako said, trying to look cheery, but everyone just seemed tired. In all honesty, Nanako was feeling pretty drained herself, and not just because of exams.

“Feels like we should celebrate or something, right?” Ryuji suggested.

“Let’s get lunch. We still have money leftover from the gold medal, right?” Ann said.

“Ooh! Then I want home-grown eel!” Ryuji said.

“Salmon roe!” Morgana added.

“We don’t have that much left, you dummies…”

“I think I’ll have to pass for today,” Nanako said. “But you guys have fun.”

“Oh, okay. Are you sure?” Ann said.

“Yeah, I just have some things to do.”

“Well, you’re coming to the Madarame exhibit tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah, definitely. Maybe we should all meet up here and go together?” Nanako suggested.

“Aw, come on, are we really going to that thing?” Ryuji complained.

“A Phantom Thief must have a sense of sophistication as well,” Morgana said, putting on airs of being Ryuji’s tutor. “After all, how can an art thief do their job if they can’t tell a real from a fake?”

“We’re stealing hearts, not paintings…besides, that guy didn’t even really invite us.”

“Ryuji, you’re going, shut up!” Ann said.

“Yes, ma’am,” Ryuji squeaked, standing at sudden attention.

“Right, see you all tomorrow,” Nanako said. She waved at everyone and started for the apartment. She got all the way to the elevator before a text came in.

Pi pi pi.

REN: Hey. Sorry about the other day.  
REN: You wanna hang out later? Get dinner, maybe?”

Nanako started to type her response automatically, but forced herself to slow down and take a breath. She deleted what she wrote and instead put:

NANAKO: I’m sorry, I can’t.  
REN: Oh. Okay.

No more messages came.

She went home. The discussion from the previous night’s Sisterhood of Twin Tails - was she really going to call it that? - had given Nanako a lot to think about. She had resolved herself earlier that day to go home and hav a long, contemplative think session. No distractions, no TV, no phone, no computer, no internet. Just her, maybe a notebook, and her thoughts.

She was going to solve this whole Ren thing once and for all!

Nanako made herself a snack, found a nice notebook she bought at the train station once but never used, grabbed a purple pen (because purple seemed to be the right color for working through matters of the heart) and sat.

And sat.

And thought.

And sat.

And doodled.

And ate another snack.

And doodled some more.

Then she wrote down a list of groceries she wanted big bro to buy the next time he was at the store.

And then a smaller list of chores she should accomplish today so that she could have a good time tomorrow without worrying about anything.

She sighed.

She had thought that going home to have a long mature think session would be easy. And productive.

In turned out, it was just kinda boring.

“Come on, Nanako, this is sad,” she said aloud to herself in the empty apartment. She stood over by the beautiful windows that overlooked Shibuya, using the reflection of the glass to stare herself down. “Figure it out! Use that Dojima Instinct!”

Nothing came to mind. She ran off to her room, got the Compendium, strapped it around her body and then held it in one hand.

“Persona!”

Nothing.

“Maybe it’s just too quiet here,” she said to herself. “Oh! Talking to myself! That’s a method for figuring things out, right?”

She set down the Compendium and then slipped big bro’s glasses on.

“Why yes, indeed, I believe I once read somewhere that self-talk is an excellent way to process thoughts and emotions.”

Glasses off.

“Okay, well, here we go then. Do I like Ren?”

Glasses: “That much seems obvious, I don’t know why you’re even bothering to consider such a basic question.”

Regular Nanako: “Because I have to start somewhere, stop being so judgmental. Okay, so I…l…like Ren…”

Glasses: “If you can’t even say it to yourself, can you really be ready for these types of mature feelings?”

Regular: “I said to stop being so judgmental!”

Glasses: “Don’t get mad at me, you’re the one who kept all the empathy.”

Regular: “Ugh, okay, this isn’t getting anywhere. I like Ren. But is he the kind of guy I want to be with?”

Glasses: “The problem with your question is that you haven’t considered all of the other factors of what it would mean to ‘be with’ him.”

Regular: “Huh? What the heck do you mean by that?”

Glasses: “Think it through for a second, Nanako. Three months ago your life was very, very different. You lived in quiet, peaceful Inaba, and yet you didn’t have a good grasp of what you wanted for your future. Now your life has completely changed and you still don’t have a grasp of what you want for your future. Do you really think you can determine if someone would be a good partner for your life if you don’t have a view of what that life is supposed to look like?”

Regular: “So you’re saying that Ren might be too exciting if I want a quiet, normal life?”

Glasses: “Exciting? Is that what you think of him? Weren’t you just venting your frustrations about how closed off he was, emotionally?”

Regular: “Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t exciting. I mean, he is the leader of the Phantom Thieves. He plans heists for fun. He knows how to pick locks and pickpocket and he has a criminal record. Unjust, yes, but he has it all the same. That’s pretty exciting.”

Glasses: “Ah, hm. You’re right. Maybe he’s not a suitable match at all, he is far too ‘exciting.’”

Regular: “Aw, come on!”

Glasses: “Think it through, me. What kind of future would that be? What kind of job is he going to get?”

Regular: “What if I don’t care? What if I want to live on the outskirts of society with him? Or maybe we move overseas where nobody cares about all this crap that society shoves down on us. Or maybe we open a coffee shop in Inaba, or work at the Amagi Inn or…”

Glasses: “Do you think he would be happy doing any of that?”

Regular: “I have no idea.”

Glasses: “Because he’s not emotionally available!”

Regular: “Yet! But…I still think there’s a chance. Maybe we just haven’t been giving this enough time. I mean, you yourself said it’s only been about three months. That’s not a lot of time to get to know someone, and some people open up slower than others. Just because I’m ready to jump into the next level of a relationship doesn’t mean that he has to be. And it’s not fair for me to make him keep at my pace.”

Glasses: “Oh ho, so you do want a romantic relationship with him, how very interesting…”

Regular: “I just…I’ve been waiting for my real life to start for so long now. And now it has, as a Phantom Thief! In Tokyo! I guess I’m just being impatient.”

Glasses: “Maybe. But you have to consider the possibility that you might wait and wait and wait and he never changes. It isn’t selfish to be realistic, me.

Regular: “I know, me. I guess the only thing we can do now is…wait a bit. See what happens.”

Glasses: “But we also keep our options open. No more pining away for him late at night or whispering his name into your pillow!”

Regular: “Hng! How did you know that!?”

Glasses: “Because I’m you, remember?”

The front door opened. Big bro kicked off his shoes and let out a long sigh, releasing all the stress from the day.

“I’m home,” he called out. Nanako quickly removed the glasses and slipped them into her front pocket, then quickly shoved the Compendium under a couch cushion.

“Hi big bro,” Nanako called back. Yu looked around the living room area, glanced at the TV, then back at the kitchen.

“Is someone here?”

“No, just me.”

“Oh. Weird, I thought I heard you talking to someone,” Yu said. Nanako blushed.

“I was uh, talking to myself,” she said. Yu nodded.

“Did you answer yourself?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Well, that’s good. Nothing worse than ignoring yourself,” he said with a smile. Nanako wasn’t sure if he was being serious or not, but she appreciated the words all the same.

“Hey, Rise is performing a show next week. Do you want to go? I have to go for work, anyway, but if you’re not busy…”

“That’d be fun!” Nanako said, sitting up.

“You want to bring any friends?” Yu asked.

“Oh. Um. Maybe? Let me think about it a bit.”

“Sure, sure, just let me know by Tuesday. I’m going to wash up.”

Big bro left the living room and head to his bedroom. Nanako retreated to her own, making sure to take the glasses and Compendium and put them back in their proper hiding places in her room.

That was a little close. Next time she would have to have conversations with herself in her room. Or maybe use a different prop.

Glasses Nanako wasn’t very nice, after all. `1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm loving all the theories about who is going to end up with, ship-wise. I'm looking forward to making you all angry later on when I disappoint you! 
> 
> Some behind the scenes, though: I have most of my pairings already picked out, though I'm definitely a "pantser" at heart, so if the characters do something I wasn't quite expecting then I of course will change my mind. But I think I like what I've picked. 
> 
> I also picked things that are probably sorta unconventional at best and controversial at worst. But I look forward to discussing it with awesome Persona fans like you guys. I've learned so much and thought about some really interesting things as a result of your comments, so thank you so much for your continued support!


	163. 5/15 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And no one ate dinner that night..."

"Surprisingly, we have the ingredients to make pork ginger," Yu Narukami muttered to himself. 

Nanako and Rise were in the living room watching TV. Nanako had mentioned that she was going with her friends to an art gallery opening. Knowing how ridiculously expensive museum food can be, Yu thought it might be nice to make Nanako a lunchbox for her to take. After all, she did spend all the time to buy groceries every week, and make dinner regularly. 

That night's dinner had been excellent - delicious and energizing. So there was no way that her big bro was going to fail in this task! 

He gathered the ingredients and set them next to the sink. He was about to begin, when his mind was struck by a sudden lightning bolt of blankness.

"How am I supposed to prepare the meat..." 

He stared down at the uncooked pork. Three things leapt to mind at once. 

"Soak it in oil, score it with a knife, or blanch it..." 

_Come on, think, Narukami! You can't let down Nanako! You can't fail in this most simple of tasks, especially as she struggles through the life of a high schooler!_

With a flourish, he grasped the kitchen knife and made rapid slice marks across the top of the pork before he cooked it. The scoring made the meat tender and the helped to soak in the seasonings, resulting in Aromatic Pork Ginger! 

Yu carefully stacked the Pork Ginger with the rest of the rice and other side dishes into the bento box, found a pretty bento cloth and then tied it all together with a fancy string. It was a lovely bento, and Yu wondered if he should spend more time making them - not only for Nanako, but for himself as well. 

Of course that would mean he would need more time...something he was seemingly short on right now. Oh well. He was grateful for the moment to provide this for her. 

"Nanako, I made a lunch for you for tomorrow," Yu called out.

"Really? Thanks big bro! I really appreciate that!" 

"It was no problem. Besides, I feel like my proficiency increased a bit," Yu said, striking a pose and leaning against a nearby wall. "I will be Masterful soon." 

"Hey, Master Yu," Rise said, pointing at him. "You have sauce on your nose." 

"Damn." 


	164. 5/16 - Daytime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves look at art.

"Wow!" Ann said, mouth agape. "You look great!" 

Nanako blushed, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious. She had spent so much time getting ready that she had actually told Ann to go ahead of her, and that she'd meet her and the boys at the museum, and now she definitely wished she hadn't. 

"Yeah, and you look uh...normal," Nanako muttered. She felt her shoulders rolling forward, as if somehow she could fold herself into nothingness and become invisible. Ann frowned, took two hopping steps forward and grabbed onto Nanako's shoulders, pushing them back to help her stand up straight. 

"Hey, no slouching." 

"Why are you wearing regular clothes?" Nanako hissed. 

"Why are you all dressed up?" Ryuji asked in a confused tone, as if Nanako was wearing an arctic parka or Teddie's costume. 

"Shut up, Ryuji!" Ann snapped. Ryuji just looked confused. 

Nanako felt stupid. 

She was wearing a soft pink dress made of a fine satin that was cinched at the waist with a matching ribbon. She wore a low, black heel with white stockings, had her hair down, and a simple gold chain around her neck with a single white pearl - a bridesmaid's gift that her mom had given her the day she and dad got married. 

She had even spent the time to get a matching shade of lipstick on and spent forever trying to find a way to make the Compendium not look bulky and out of place on her shoulders, finally deciding to just wear it since people didn't notice it anyway. She had her phone and wallet tucked into the front cover of the Compendium, using it as a makeshift purse. 

"I...I've never been to a museum, I thought you know, in the movies...they're always dressed up and..." Nanako looked down, feeling the blush burn bright on her cheeks. "We don't have anything like this in Inaba..." 

"Hey, it's okay! People get dressed up to go to the museums! We didn't, but you won't be out of place there," Ann said, reassuringly. 

"She'll look out of place next to us," Ryuji muttered.

"You look out of place everywhere," Ann said with a glare. Ryuji stuck his tongue at her in his most mature act of defiance. 

"You look nice," Ren added, his deep voice cutting through the din around them. Nanako's blush reddened even more. 

"Can we just stop talking about how I look? Let's just go!" 

The Phantom Thieves went to the museum. 

It took longer than Nanako would have thought to enter, but it was opening day, she supposed. Ann was right, there were many people dressed up to enter the museum, and Nanako didn't look out of place at all - well except when she was standing next to Ryuji in his 777 Jacket. Maybe they ought to get him a nicer one...

"Whoah, so crowded..." Morgana said, craning himself out of the bag. 

"Hey, keep your head down. It'll be a real pain in the ass if someone sees you," Ryuji said. 

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Morgana grumbled.

"Don't make me have Ren button-mash you again." 

"Button-mash?" Nanako asked. 

"We were caught with Morgana on the train," Ren said, as if that somehow would clarify everything. 

"Hello, and welcome to the museum," a young woman wearing a docent's uniform said. "May I have your tickets?" 

The Thieves produced them and she tore them meticulously, one by one, handing them their stubs and providing them with a sticker. The sticker had a copy of one of Madarame's works - a fiery and colorful conflagration - as the background. "Exhibit Madarame" was printed over the background in golden characters. 

"Even the stickers are fancy," Ryuji remarked. 

They strode in and glanced around. Nanako was struck by the dizzying impact of so many paintings. Nanako was hardly an art expert, but she had done a little research and found out that one of the things that made Madarame remarkable was his ability to paint in multiple styles. She just had no idea it was _so many_ differnet styles...

"You came!" 

They turned to see Kitagawa rushing over, looking well-kept and dapper in his long sleeved white shirt and skinny trousers. His body was so lithe that it bordered on frail, but somehow it just made him seem elegant. He had a small badge hanging from his belt, something to do with access to the exhibit. 

He turned to the boys. 

"You...all came? Strange, I thought I only gave you two tickets..." 

"Well, this guy here can't get enough art," Ryuji said, throwing his arm around Ren and pulling him close. "He just goes crazy for it. Guy practically drinks paint to survive." 

"I see...well, I hope you enjoy yourselves," he said, his rich voice a mixture of elegant politeness and dismissive curtness. He directed his attention fully onto Ann. "I'd like to give you a guided tour and talk about our potential collaboration. If you're comfortable with that, of course." 

"Uh, yeah, sure. Do you mind if Nanako tags along?" 

Kitagawa looked at Nanako and nodded. "Yes, that will be fine...so long as we have a chance to discuss." 

Ann turned to the boys. "See you guys in a bit." 

Ryuji rolled his eyes and motioned for Ren to follow him in the opposite direction. Nanako turned and followed Kitagawa and Ann, but kept her distance. It seemed like Kitagawa wanted to be able to talk about the art project without her, but Ann wanted the back-up, which Nanako understood. She'd play chaperone. 

Which made her little tour of the Madarame exhibit a bit lonely, standing a painting behind Kitagawa and Ann while he waxed poetic about each piece. Nanako could catch bits and pieces of what he said, but she was mostly left alone to her own thoughts. 

It was definitely weird how versatile Madarame's art was. And _weird_ was the correct word for it, though Nanako couldn't exactly express why. It felt like she was at a gallery for a lot of different people, rather than one man who was experimenting with different art styles. Each piece was trying to communicate something to the viewer, but the heart and message of each piec seemed so different from the last. 

Or maybe she was just assuming she could "feel the painting~" because of their time in the Metaverse. Maybe she was just over-estimating herself. 

"Excuse me, um...?" 

Nanako turned around to see Kitagawa looking at her. 

"Hm? Oh, sorry, am I standing in your way?" 

"Not at all. I was just going to ask you how you felt about the painting, but then realized I didn't get your name." 

"Huh? Ann told you, didn't she?" 

"Well, yes, but I mean...that's a bit forward..." 

"Oh, right!" Nanako felt herself turn red from embarrassment for the third time in a day. Or was it fourth already? "Dojima. Nanako Dojima." 

"Dojima-san, what do you think about this painting?" Kitagawa said, gesturing at the conflagration of reds and orange on the wall. 

"This is the one on the sticker," Nanako pointed out. "I think it's my favorite one by far." 

Kitagawa seemed surprised at that. "Really? Why?" 

"Mm, I mean I'm not an art expert or anything, but I can just feel the anger in this work...like there's a deep, deep frustration that the artist is trying to get out but remains unsatisfied." 

"I see...that's perhaps accurate," he said quietly. 

"Kind of odd for a famous artist to feel this level of frustration," Nanako said. "I mean, what does he have to be frustrated about?" 

"Creating art is a lot more painful than you might think, Dojima-san," Kitagawa said. 

"Well, sure, I know that, I have a couple of friends in the arts...but I don't know. Is this an older piece? No wait, it says right there it was painted this year...I wonder what he has to be so frustrated about." 

"You are quiet the skilled critic," Kitagawa said. 

"Huh? Oh, no way, this is the first time I've ever been to a musuem. I mean, look at me, I'm dressed like Cinderella at the ball..." 

"What's wrong with that?" 

"Huh? Well, it's just...a bit much, don't you think?" 

"Not at all. If this was your first time to an art museum, that would be cause to mark the event as special. If those clothes helped you to express your heart, then they are the perfect thing to wear." 

"I...um...thank you," Nanako said, so quiet it was almost a whisper. She felt her heartbeat bashing in her ears. It was such a perfect thing to say - no focus on how good she did or did not look, no discussion about what anyone else was doing. 

Clothes as an expression of the heart. The outer showing the inner. 

More contradictions. 

"A different girl today, Yusuke?" 

The two teens turned to the elder artist, ready with his warm, kindly smile. Nanako gave a slight bow. 

"Hello, Madarame-san. Your artwork is incredible." 

"Thank you. It's nice to see the youth taking an interest. It's your generation that's the future of Japnaese art, after all. People like Yusuke will need people like you to appreciate his work once I'm dead and gone." 

"I'll do my best," Nanako said. Ann returned, coming from around a corner, to rejoin Nanako and Kitagawa. Madarame raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I see...well, I'll leave you to it, Yusuke." 

"Yes, sensei." 

After another twenty minutes, they had seen all the paintings they could. Ann and Kitagawa traded contact information, said their thank yous and goodbyes. 

"It was nice chatting with you earlier," Kitagawa said to Nanako. "Perhaps we'll run into each other again at the station." 

"Yeah, that'd be...cool. Thanks for your hospitality." 

They went to the front door. Ann was glowering. 

"Seriously? They took off without us?" 

Nanako sighed. "Well, they probably got hungry or something stupid...let's check the station." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this one. The major plot beats are always tricky. 
> 
> I'm also sad that I had to give away Ann's moment. Her identifying the feelings in Yusuke's painting is one of my character moments for her, but Nanako had to steal it away to set things up correctly. 
> 
> Thanks to all the new commenters and readers! I'll reply to you all soon. 
> 
> Btw, fun fact: I hate love triangles. I have no idea why I'm doing this to myself.


	165. 5/16 - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discussions about Madarame.

"Hey! Why'd you guys ditch us?" Ann yelled as she and Nanako appraoched the boys at the station. Ryuji was reclining on the ground, scrolling fervently through his phone while Ren did his usual leaning and vanishing into the background.

"Huh? We didn't ditch you, there was this massive crowd that started pushing and - ah, nevermind, it's not important. Come on, I gotta show you this...as soon as I find it..."

"Lady Ann! Are you all right!? He didn't try anything, did he?" Morgana said, panicked, his fuzzy little ears on pointed alert .

"Who? Kitagawa-kun? No, he was fine, all we talked about was art and what he wanted to paint," Ann said. "Well, he _sorta_ talked about what he wanted to paint. I wasn't following along that well, to be honest."

"Thank goodness. I was worried he might ensnare you in his charms," Morgana continued. Ann rolled her eyes and pet Morgana on the head.

"What do you have for us?" Nanako asked, trying to redirect the conversation.

"Just a sec...here it is. Check it out."

Ryuji held up his phone. It was set to the Phansite, to one of the forum threads suggesting possible targets for the Phantom Thieves. Nanako took the phone and read it aloud.

"There's a master of the Japanese arts who is a fraud. He plagiarizes the ideas of his abuses his students and sucks them dry of their talent, their hopes, and their dreams, then tosses them aside like used paintbrushes," Nanako read, her stomach sinking deeper into her with every word. "That's horrible."

"Yes. And if we combine this with the information we got from Mementos..." Ren said.

"Oh, right, that shadow said Madarame didn't he?" Ann pointed out.

"There's a couple of responses in the thread...who's Admin? Is that Mishima?"

"Mhm," Ren said.

Nanako read.

 **Admin** : Who is it? Who is this artist?   
**Anon:** I can't say. I know this forum is anonymous or whatever, but he'll know. He's' too powerful, and he's already ruined all my chances in the art world...who knows what kind of shady people he knows. I've probably already said too much.

"This artist is scary," Nanako said, handing the phone back to Ryuji.

"Right? I think we've found our next target," Ryuji said, grinning with a hungry excitement.

"Hold on," Nanako said. "We can't just assume that what was written here was 100% true or accurate. It could be a different artist."

"But that Shadow said Madarame!" Ryuji argued.

"True. But what if it was a different Madarame for a different reason? And, we need to take a look at the opposing evidence."

"Opposing evidence?"

"Kitagawa-kun," Nanako pointed out. "He didn't seem abused to me. Ann?"

"Well...not really. I mean, he looks a little thin, but that could just be genetics. And he had nothing but kind words to say about his sensei the whole time we were looking at his works," Ann said.

"What if it was Kitagawa that wrote the post!" Ryuji exclaimed, excited again. "What if that's why he invited us here, to try and get us to see the phony that Madarame really is?"

"You dummy, Kitagawa doesn't know we're the Phantom Thieves," Morgana said. Ryuji slumped.

"Oh, right..."

"Kitagawa could be too afraid to say anything," Ren pointed out. "Think of all of Kamoshida's victims. He had tremendous power over everything, and he was just a high school volleyball coach. Madarame is a major power in the art world. Kitagawa could be experiencing that and putting on a brave face to make sure he can succeed."

"You think he would go that far?" Nanako asked.

"Kamoshida had star volleyball players, didn't he?" he countered.

Nanako put her hand to her chin and thought. Ren had a good point.

"This is a lead," Ren said. "It's not enough evidence to know for certain Madarame could be a target, but there's not enough contrary evidence to prove he isn't. So we need to investigate more."

"How? We can't find the guy who wrote the post, can we? I don't know anything about that kind of computer stuff," Ryuji said.

"We don't need to. We have an in," Ren said, looking to Ann. "Did you agree to do the modelling?"

"Huh? Oh, well, I said I would think about it. I was kinda leaning towards doing it, so-"

"Perfect," Ren said. "You'll make arrangements to meet up with him, and we'll talk to him. Maybe we can get Kitagawa to tip us off, one way or the other."

He turned and looked at Nanako.

"What do you think?"

"It's a good plan," Nanako said. "And fair."

"Great. Ryuji, Ann, Morgana?"

"I'm in," said Ryuji.

"Yeah, me too. We should seek out the truth, no matter where it takes us," Ann said.

"Doing reconnaissance work, a stylish and necessary step for a Phantom Thief," Morgana said, giving his best cat-flourished-bow with his front paws.

"Okay. I'll contact Kitagawa-kun later and let you know what he says," Ann said. Her phone chimed and she glanced at. "Shoot, I gotta go. There's a shoot downtown that they need me on. See you guys later."

Ryuji yawned. "I'm going home. All that art made me sleepy."

That left Ren, Nanako, and Morgana on the platform.

"I think I'll head home," Nanako said.

"Me too," Ren said.

They stood there.

"Oh, right, we have to take the same train..." Nanako said.

"Yeah."

They stood some more.

"Geez, come on you guys, just talk it out already," Morgana said. "It's too awkward for all of us."

"There's nothing to talk out," Nanako said, trying to summon up her anger to help bolster her resolve.

"I..." Ren started. Then he said nothing for a while.

"Sometimes I need a long time to think about what I want to say before I can say it," Ren said. "And when I try to speak too quickly...I say the wrong things. Sorry about what I said with Ryuji. He's a good guy."

Nanako felt a weird lump of emotions - as if anger and guilt and confusion and infatuation were all colors, and a child had smeared them into a muddy brown mixture in her heart.

"It's fine," Nanako said. "I mean...people fight sometimes, right? It's natural."

"Yeah."

The train came to a stop and they got onto it. Maybe Nanako hadn't figured out anything important about how she felt with Ren, but at least it was a bit less awkward to stand next to him now.

"What was your favorite painting?" Nanako asked suddenly.

"Hmm...the bright sunset-like one. The one on the sticker."

"Mine too. It's funny, though...didn't feel like Madarame could've painted something like that. Not that I know anything about art."

"Huh. That's interesting," Ren said. "But you could be right. If the post is true, maybe someone else painted it."

"Huh," Nanako said.

Maybe she needed to talk to someone who knew more about art...


	166. 5/16 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A (cute) artist's perspective.

"Art?" Kanji said, looking a little bewildered on the screen. Nanako had asked if they could video-chat that evening. Nanako sat cross-legged on her bed, staring down at her computer screen. Kanji was videoing through one of his cameras in his studio.

"I dunno if I'd call what I do _art_ , at least not in the way you're talkin' about it," he said. "What is this for some kinda school project or something?"

"Something like that, yes," Nanako said. "I mean, I know you make cute things and teach other people how to craft cute things, but that's art! In fact, they would call it folk art in a lot of textbooks. And you make your videos, which is a different kind of art."

"Yeah, true. Still, if you're looking for help with Art History, I ain't got that kinda knowledge."

"I don't need that kind of help," Nanako said. "I guess what I want to know is...can you _feel_ the artist through the art?"

"Well, yeah, that's the whole point of it."

"No, I don't mean feel what the artist is trying to convey, I mean like...okay, so you have those doll patterns that you did tutorials for, right? Two people could make the same thing, with the same materials, following the same instructions and they look identical...could you tell the difference?"

Kanji folded one his big hands around his chin.

"Hmm...yeah, probably. But that's because part of what you're saying doesn't make any sense. It's impossible for two people to make something look identical. With anything handmade, there's always going to be little changes. They make mistakes, or they just do things with a little bit of a different style. Even if you couldn't point it out, I think you'd just feel it. Naoto would probably say something about the subconscious, but it's really just a gut thing. That's why it's valuable for everyone to make things. There's room for everyone's special touches."

Nanako had a big smile. Even in casual conversaiton, Kanji could be so inspirational.

"I mean, you played piano, so you know what I'm talking about. Two people play the same song it'll always sound different."

It clicked in Nanako's head.

That's what Mei was detecting. The difference in how Nanako was playing music was like...her musical fingerprint. The special way she played was shaped by who she was. Kanji's cute crafts were shaped by who he was. And the paintings that Madarame made would be shaped by who he was.

But that painting, the one on the sticker, that was shaped by someone else's life. It had to be. She couldn't prove it or explain it, but she knew it.

It was a gut thing.

"Thanks, Kanji," Nanako said. "That helped a lot."

"Really? Oh, all right, that was easy. You're doing okay over there in the city, right? I heard Yosuke is teaching at your school now."

"Yeah, he took over for that other coach," Nanako said.

"Well that's a relief. But if there's any more creeps over there, tell me right away, you got it?"

"I'll be fine, Kanji. Thanks for the offer, though."

"Yeah. Okay. Hey, I'll be in Tokyo soon, I'll drop by. Tell your big bro I'll call him."

"I will. Good night, Kanji."

"Night, Nanako."

The call ended. Nanako folded her laptop closed and leaned back on the bed.

She wondered...could she really just trust her gut on choosing Madarame as a potential target?

_Pi pi pi_

**ANN** : Kitagawa-kun said he's available tomorrow after school and he gave me the address to his sensei's attellier.   
**RYUJI** : Hell yeah, then it's a plan. We head over right after school tomorrow and figure this out!   
**REN** : Sounds good. Can you make it, Nanako?   
**NANAKO** : Yeah, I'll be there, no problem.

She put her phone down. She supposed she'd get an answer one way or the other tomorrow.

There was a sudden knock on her door.

"Hey, Nanako..." Yu said through the door. "...you didn't eat my bento."

Nanako gasped.

"Ah, big bro, I'm sorry! I was in a rush and totally forgot about it!"

"Ah, yeah, that...makes sense...don't worry about it...it probably wasn't very good anyway..."

"No, no, I'll eat it right now!"

"It's not good anymore. It's okay, Nanako."

She heard him step away from the door. Nanako groaned and fell back into the bed again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actually it was me who forgot to have Nanako eat the bento. I'm sorry, Nanako. I'll make it up to you.


	167. 5/17 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone's not leveling their Proficiency.

"I'm sure you've seen your share of our school on the news these days," Ushimaru-sensei began as he started writing his notes for the lecture on the board. "But try not to believe what you see of every expert opinion or every piece of so-called evidence. Now I'm not saying what that certain individaul did was right, but you still need to have healthy amount of skepticism." 

Nanako had to admit that despite being the grumpiest of her teachers, Ushimaru-sensei did care a lot about his students. He was stern, but he was always making sure to tell them to think for themselves and to not be drawn in by a single news source, and to keep a "healthy skepticism" about everything.

She wondered what he would think about "stealing hearts" and the Metaverse. 

"You should of course have morals, ethics, values...but if you hold onto them too strongly, you can be manipulated by them. In fact there's a psychological phenomenon that occurs where a person views every fact as evidence that their strongly held belief is true. Do you know what it's called, Amamiya-kun?" 

Nanako watched as Ren looked up sharply. He adjusted his glasses and held a long silence. 

He didn't know! 

"This is why you need..." Ushimaru-sensei said, slowly turning around. 

"Oh shoot, it's the Ushimaru bullet!" a student whispered. 

"...to pay attention!" 

The chalk zipped in a straight line across the room. Ren tried to tip his head out of the way, but was just a bit too slow. It bounced off his cheek. Everyone laughed. 

"Mishima, do you know?" 

"C-c-c-confirmation bias, sensei!" 

"Very good." 

Ren wiped his cheek. 


	168. 5/17 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shack.

"We're all here," Morgana announced as Nanako approached the rest of the team. They were waiting along the accessway in the Shibuya station where they needed to pick up the Ginza line to get to Madarame's place. 

"So is this the new hideout?" Nanako asked. The others looked at each other and shrugged. 

"Sometimes hiding in plain sight is the best move a cunning thief can make," Morgana pointed out. 

"Huh, yeah I guess so. Not like someone's gonna question a buncha teenagers standin' around," Ryuji said. 

"It'll do for now," Ren said. "Shall we?" 

They boarded the train. Though some of the awkwardness between Nanako and Ren had been cleared up with yesterday's talk, Nanako still felt a strange distance between them. She supposed that all of this was too complicated to be settled as quickly as she wanted it to be. But at least now, as Phantom Thieves, they could work together. If she threw all of her concentration into the task at hand, then all the other stuff could fade into the background for a while.

That might be best for both of them. 

The got off at the closest possible station and then walked the rest of the way. The neighborhood was pretty middle-of-the-road, neither too expensive nor too rundown, but the "attellier" stood out. 

"Yesterday, Madarame used the word 'shack' to describe his home," Ren said. "I guess he wasn't lying." 

"Do people seriously live here?" Ryuji asked. "Ann, go ring the bell." 

"What? Why me? I don't want to make it collapse..." 

"Nobody sneeze," Morgana warned, jokingly. Nanako shook her head. 

"City kids," she mumbled, then shot a glance at Ren, who smirked. Nanako pushed the doorbell, then grabbed Ann by the arm and pulled her over to the intercom. 

"Who is it?" It was Kitagawa-kun's deep voice coming through the speaker. "Sensei is busy at the moment, so you'll have to come another time." 

"It's Takamaki," Ann said. 

There was a sharp gasp. "I'll be right there!" 

"Huh, people really do live here..." Ryuji said. 

"Takamaki-san, I'm glad you've-...oh." 

Kitagawa's face, which had been bright-eyed and excited, drooped at the sight of the gathered Phantom Thieves. Ryuji caught the shift in his expression, leaned forward, and grinned at him. 

"Heya buddy. Did you miss me?" 

"Not particularly," Kitagawa said, his voice growing more imperious. 

"We're sorry to trick you," Nanako said. "But we wanted to ask you about something. Soemthing pretty serious." 

"Madarame's been plagiarizing stuff, right?" Ryuji said, cutting straight to the point. Nanako shot him a "what are you doing!?" look, but Ryuji didn't see it. Kitagawa's demeanor shifted from irritation to increduility. 

"And where did you get an idea like that?" 

"We read about it online! It said there was abuse and...he stole...art...and..." Ryuji said, his confidence flagging as he realized he didn't have a lot to back up the accusation. After all, what was he supposed to say? _A shadow in Mementos told us!_

Kitagawa's mouth curled into a tight-lipped smile. Then he leaned back and laughed - a laughter that sounded almost evil with his low voice. 

"What a preposterous notion!" He declared, sounding both defiant and patronizing. "The greatest Japanese artist living today, _plagiarizing_? Do you know how impossible that is? And abuse? Abuse of who, his students? _I_ am his student, and I'm saying there's no abuse. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I had no family, and sensei took me in and raised me, trained me, never asking me for anything in return. He not only has a keen eye for beauty, but an overflowlingly generous heart." 

"If you owe so much to him, you may not recognize that you're being abused," Ren said. 

The statement sliced through like a knife. Everyone was painfully silent. Even the birds went still. 

Kitagawa's eyes darkened and his posture changed. Though he was thin and lithe, he looked ready to pounce. It reminded Nanako of the fox back in Inaba - small, but dangerous. 

"How dare you besmirch the name of such a great man," he said, cold and furious. "How dare you approach me with the drivel of the jealous!" 

"Yusuke, is everything all right?" 

Madarame appeared in the doorway, looking concerned. "I heard shouting," he said. 

"Sensei, these brats were spewing filthy lies!" 

"Brats!?" Ryuji said. "We're the same age!" 

"Let it go, Yusuke," Madarame said, his voice soothing. 

"But sensei-" 

"Let it go and forgive them." The great artist took a step forward and rested his hand on Yusuke's shoulder. The touch soothed the fire burning inside Yusuke and his posture relaxed. "There are many rumors written about me. There always have been and there always will be. We've talked about this." 

"I know, sensei, but..." 

"You're the young lady from yesterday, aren't you?" Madrame asked, looking at Ann. 

"Yes, I am," she said. 

"You see, Yusuke? They read these rumors and became concerned for their friend. You should be honored, not offended. Now, I am sorry to butt in on your conversation, but I do have neighbors...would you mind keeping it down a little?" 

Madarame offered a polite bow and then stepped back into his crumbling shack. Kitagawa stood straight, shut his eyes, and took a deep breath. 

Then he gave a slight bow. 

"I apologize. I was discourteous." 

"We're sorry, too," Ann said. Ryuji opened his mouth to interject, but Nanako elbowed him. 

"Ah, I know what to do," Kitagawa said, reaching into his pocket. "When words do not reach, art must speak. Perhaps if you viewed sensei's defining work, you would understand him better." 

He rapidly went through commands on his phone, then showed the screen to the assembled group. The painting on the screen was beautiful - a woman painted in a traditional Japanese style. She had fine black hair and a red shirt and was smiling down into a cloud of silver fog. 

It reminded Nanako of Yukiko. So much so that it actually made Nanako miss Yukiko in that moment. It was a very moving piece.

"It's beautiful..." Ann whispered. 

"Indeed. It's the piece that made me pursue the path of art." 

"Yeah I mean...even I'm feelin' something from it," Ryuji said. 

"A true testament to sensei's skill," Kitagawa said with a smirk. Nanako coughed out a laugh. Ryuji looked confused but shrugged it off. Kitagawa turned to Ann. 

"When I saw you, I felt the same way I did when I first saw this painting. The purpose of my life is to pursue beauty and express it to the world, and I believe that painting you would bring me along that path." 

"M-me? Really?" 

"Yes. I seriously implore you to seriously consider my offer. Now, I'm very sorry that you came all this way, but I have to assist sensei today." 

"Kitagawa-kun," Nanako interrupted. "What's the name of the painting?" 

"Oh, yes. It's called 'Sayuri.'" 

Nanako heard a sound. It was small and sudden, and she was the only one that caught it. In fact, for a moment she wasn't even sure it happened. But she knew it to be true. 

Ren had gasped when Kitagawa said "Sayuri." 

He bowed, then returned to the inside of the shack. The Phantom Thieves left the entrance and walked across the street to lean by a railing. Ryuji was rubbing the back of his head. 

"We messed up, didn't we? They seem like really nice guys," Ryuji said with a sigh. "Man, just when I thought we found a new target, too." 

"Maybe the Madarame we heard about in Mementos meant another Madarame?" Ann suggested. 

"I don't know..." Nanako said. "The evidence doesn't seem to line up correctly to our assumptions. They seem to have a really strong bond. But my gut is telling me we weren't totally wrong..." 

"There's a faster way to settle this," Ren said, holding out his phone. "Ichiryusai Madarame." 

_"Candidate found"_

"What!?" Ann gasped.

"That guy seriously has a palace?" Ryuji questioned. 

"Hold on," Nanako said. "We used the MetaNav to locate Nakanohara, too. We'd have to verify it's not just a shadow in Mementos." 

"Plagiarism," Ren said into the phone. "Shack." 

_"Candidate found"_. 

"He really does have a palace..." Ann said. Morgana leapt out of Ren's bag and onto the railing. 

"Then all we need is the distortion to allow us to enter. It would be a strange word, much the same way Kamoshida's was 'castle.' " 

"Well, he's an artist, so it has to be art-related, right?" Ann suggested. 

"Psh, but Kamoshida wasn't really a king," Ryuji said. "He just thought of himself as one." 

"So...what does Madarame think of himself as?" Nanako suggested. 

"A teacher," Ren said. "So...school?" 

_"No candidates found."_

"If he's abusing people then...prison?" Ryuji suggested. 

_"No candidates found."_

"Paint store?" Ann said. 

_"No candidates found."_

"Paint store? Really?" Ryuji said. 

"What, it's worth a try!" 

Nanako shut her eyes to concentrate. The image of Sayuri, and Yukiko, wouldn't leave her head. And for some reason she couldn't get the image of a golden birdcage out of her mind. Somehow those images were connected deeply together, though Nanako couldn't figure out why. 

"Bird cage," she said. 

_"No candidates found."_

Ren adjusted his glasses. 

"Museum." 

_"Beginning navigation."_


	169. 5/17 - Museum of Vanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves go to the museum

"Ack, Mona!" 

Nanako leapt back, surprised that the small cat had turned into the three foot tall Phantom Thief. Morgana looked down at his hands. 

"We're in the Metaverse," he said. "Look at that..." 

Nanako spun around to see her friends were now replaced by Joker, Panther, and Skull. Behind them was a large museum, built with modern archtiectural shapes that was so common with fancy musuems. The whole building shimmered with gold, so bright that it bordered on gaudy. 

A bright sign declared "MADARAME" in letters that had to be as tall as Nanako. She looked down at the entrance and saw a huge line of people waiting to get in. 

"So it is a museum..." Nanako muttered. 

"Who are all these people?" Skull asked. 

"Cognitions," Mona said. "It's his view of the general public, though, not specific students like it was in Kamoshida's palace." 

"This is increidble..." Panther said, looking up and down the building. "But...I don't understand why it's here. With Kamoshida, he thought of the school as a castle. But Madarame's art is already in a museum, and he really did have a line of people waiting to see his work. Why would the distortion look like this?" 

"Maybe it has to do with the plagiarism," Nanako said. "If it's not really his work, then maybe that would cause the dissonance." 

"There's a faster way of finding out," Joker said, pointing up at the wall. Due to the blocky, fancy architecture, there was a dip in the wall that they could jump onto. "Let's take a look around." 

"Wait! I didn't bring my disguise," Nanako said, gesturing at herself. "Or my gun." 

"We won't go far," Joker said. "You can wait for us here." 

"Hey, I didn't mean I didn't want to go, I just..." 

"It's not like Madarame knows you," Skull pointed out. "Even if he saw you in his dreams or whatever, he'd probably just think it was becuase he saw you with Kitagawa." 

"There isn't really any evidence that what we do here bleeds into the conscious world," Mona said, tapping his chin. "But we don't know that it doesn't either...it's probably a safe bet if we only go a little ways in." 

"If you want, I can wait with you," Panther offered.

"No," Nanako said, slipipng her hand into her school bag and pulling out her big bro's glasses. She flipped them on and then set her bag on the ground, making more room for the Compendium around her shoulder. "Let's go." 

Joker led the way, lithe and cat-like as always, springing up the side of the wall with ease and gliding across it. Panther went next, then Mona, followed by Nanako. With so many cats to follow, Nanako visualized herself being more graceful and acrobatic than she probably was. The cognition bent around her, and up she flew, with ease. She didn't even blink when they leapt across a series of pillars to reach another length of stone, which they used to get to the roof. 

A single skylight was open. 

"This ought to work," Joker said, kneeling beside it. "Mona, you gotta rope?" 

"Of course," he said, producing a length of rope seemingly out of nowehere. He and Joker quickly set to tying a supporting knot, then slid down the rope into the Museum below. Nanako and Skull waited while Panther slid down next. 

"This is totally badass," Skull said. "I mean, robbing a museum is a _must_ for a phantom thief, right?" 

Nanako laughed. Once Panther landed, Nanako followed. There was one stomach-dropping moment where she slipped herself over the edge and clung to the rope and she wasn't sure she was going to be able to hang on, but the rope held and somehow she managed to slide herself down. Skull slid down with only one arm and one leg wrapped in the rope, like a pirate. 

"Wow, look at these..." Panther walked over to the wall, looking at a huge portrait. It was done in a strange impressionistic style, a melange of dabbed colors that looked disjoined from close up, but built an image from further back. It was hardly the traditional Japanese style of the Sayuri, but it was still well-done. Joker leaned forward to the plaque beneath the portrait.

"Rin Tezuka," he said. 

"This one is Doboroku Ese," Mona said. 

"Who are these people? Famous artists?" Panther asked. 

"I don't know...they look kinda young to be famous artists," Nanako said. 

"Yeah, there's something kinda creepy about it, too," Skull added. 

"Maybe they're the artists?" Panther suggested. 

"No, I think this being Madarame's museum means it should all be his work...these are the names of the pieces. The names of his...creations?" Joker suggested. 

"No Shadows nearby," Mona said. "Let's keep going." 

Joker nodded his agreement, and the Phantom Thieves pushed on. They meandered the gallery, seeing farme after frame of similar portraits. Some were much larger and more detailed - others tiny rectangles no larger than a candy bar. Nanako wondered why that was, and if it had any meaning. 

"Hey, look at this one," Panther said. There was a rather large one near the end of the gallery, and the team rushed over to it. Nanako was going to look at it as well, but something else caught her eye - a golden plaque on a wall down a short hallway that ran perpendicular to the portrait Panther wanted to look at. The plaque was next to a fancy wooden door with a golden handle. SInce she would be within earshot anyway, Nanako decided to go down the hall and check it out. 

"Whoah!" Skull said. "This says Nakanohara! And it's totally him! It looks like the shadow we saw in Mementos!" 

"This proves that the Madarame Nakanohara was talking about is the same Madarame," Mona said. "There's a connecion here, without a doubt." 

"But what kind of connection?" Joker asked. 

Nanako just reached the end of the small hallway and was finally able to read the plaque. 

**Yusuke Kitagawa Exhibit. Under Construction.**

"No..." Nanako whispered. "Guys, you have to see this, it's-" 

Nanako spun around. A huge dark hand immediately gripped onto her shoulder. A shadow in the shape of a security guard towered over her, a red aura dripping from its form. 

"This area's off limits!" the shadow bellowed. 

Nanako reached down to grab her gun, but forgot it wasn't there. She then tried to grab onto the Compendium to either open it or give it a swing, but the shadow's fingers had the strapped pinned down against her. 

"Angel, hold on!" Skull yelled, spinning his shotgun into his hands. Panther shouldered him a second later, knocking him aside.

"You can't shoot, she's right behind it!" Panther pulled off her mask. "Carmen, _agi_!" 

A twist of fire materialized, burning in a concentrated drill at the back of the shadow's shoulder. Nanako was impressed with the control Panther had in her fire attack, but the shadow didn't fall from it. In fact, it didn't look hurt by it at all. It did, however, release Nanako to turn and face the others, which allowed Nanako to pull out the Compendium. 

"Valkyrie!" 

The mounted warrior charged, slashing a rapid X with both of her swords. The horse knocked the shadow back and the slices hit true, forcing the shadow to melt into its true form when it reached the main gallery. A long dog appeared - Inugami. 

"Arsene!" 

A blast of Curse energy flashed out of Arsene's laughing mouth but only splashed against Inugami's skin and fizzled out harmlessly. 

"It's immune to Curse and Fire attacks!" Mona said. "Allow me!" 

Zorro materialized and held his sword out in an _en garde_ position. Mona crossed his arms and shut his eyes in concentration.

"Garula!" 

A powerful blast of green Wind energy erupted from beneath Ingami's feet. The long-dog was thrown into the air and slammed into the ceiling with enough force to melt it back into meta-goop. Zorro saluted with his sword and Mona slicked the top of his head back in a victory pose. 

"Another stylish victory," he said. The personas vanished and the rest of the Phantom Thieves rushed to join Nanako. 

"Are you all right?" Joker asked. 

"Yeah, nothing a little healing won't fix. That shadow seemed...stronger, somehow." 

"That makes sense," Mona said. "Madarame is famous and powerful within his art world. He would have a stronger ego, a stronger distortion, and be able to attract and control stronger shadows." 

"Man, just when I was thinking we were getting pretty badass..." Skull said. 

"Don't worry. Personas can get stronger with their user. All you have to do is keep practicing and become more in-tune with it," Mona said. 

"Is that how you were able to make such a strong wind blast?" Panther asked. 

"Yes, exactly. I'd be more than happy to give you some lessons some time, Lady Ann." 

"Um, sure, yeah," Panther said. Joker strode past Nanako to the door. 

"Kitagawa," he said. "I wonder what's behind the door." 

"Can we open it?" Skull asked. 

"Maybe...but we're overextended," Joker said. "We weren't planning on entering the palace today. Angel doesn't have her gun, and I didn't bring any backup supplies. It's safer if we get out of here now. We can always come back." 

The Phantom Thieves gave their assent and followed their leader back to their infiltration point. 


	170. 5/17 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting.

"Why are we even having this conversation?" Ryuji said in a voice that bordered on a yell. "He _has a palace_. Isnt' that proof enough that he should be a target?" 

"Ryuji, keep your voice down," Ann hissed. The Phantom Thieves were at their new "hideout" - the accessway at the train platform. They had ridden the train back in silence, each of them pondering the implciations of what they had seen in the Metaverse. Nanako had so many conflicting thoughts that she didn't even know where to start sorting them out. 

"Morgana," Ren said. "You said palaces form when strong desires creates a distortion within the person...but if that's the case, then palaces could be formed all the time, couldn't they?" 

"Palaces are rare. In order to create one impression like that in the Metaverse, the desires and distortions can't just be _strong_. They have to be...I don't know...super strong," Morgana said, his cute little cat face bending in a frown. 

"We saw one beginning with Nakonahara," Nanako said. "His desires and distortions were reaching a point where he was acting on them in the real world with his stalking. And his mini-palace was his job, City Hall. Would he have started to abuse his power there?" 

"Power...Kamoshida's desires grew worse because he had power over students, right?" Ann asked. 

"That would make sense. Your desires can become further distorted if you can act on them without any consequence," Ren said. 

"And Madarame has power over Kitagawa, and his other students, and all those other artsy-fartsy people at the museum," Ryuji pointed out. "It all fits." 

"But...just becuase there's a distorted desire doesn't mean that he's acted upon it," Nanako said. "So far we've only seen one palace, and that was someone we knew had committed the crimes that took place because...well, you were the victims." 

Everyone got a little quieter. 

"You really think someone can have a palace without having acted on the desire that created it?" Ren asked. He stared at her with those intense, beautiful eyes, wide and curious. The gaze was so intense that Nanako found that she had to close her own eyes, just to think. 

There was something in the back of her head that was tapping at her. Like a memory...but not quite...she remembered the thought of the bird cage when they were trying to find Madarame's last keyword, and focused on the image that had come to her mind. 

Suddenly a dozen other images flashed through her mind all at once. A castle. A warrior with a naginata, a frog-ninja with kunai, and Izanagi. A beautiful golden bird cage with flames ringed around it. 

Yukiko in a princess gown with glowing yellow eyes. She was speaking, but her words were muffled. Only two words came through clearly. 

_"Prince charming~!"_

She snapped her eyes open .

"Yes, I do." 

"What makes you think that?" Morgana asked, looking irritated. "Do you have some special understanding of the Metaverse that I don't?" 

"I honestly don't know why I think that," Nanako said. "I just do." 

Morgana made a grunting hmph noise and leapt from the ground onto the railing. The rest of the Thieves said nothing for a long while. 

"The easiest way to settle this is to prove that Madarame did something wrong," Ann said, suddenly. "If we can prove either the plagiarism or the abuse happened, then we can make him a target, right?" 

"How the hell are we going to prove that?" Ryuji asked, sounding more annoyed than ever. 

"I'll talk to Kitagawa-kun some more. Maybe he was defending Madarame out of a sense of loyalty but...if I can get him to open up a little more..." Ann said. 

"And if he doesn't?" Ryuji shot back. 

"What do you think, leader?" Nanako asked. Everyone turned to Ren, who adjusted his glasses. 

"We'll see if we can get evidence," he decided. "Ann, keep talking to Kitagawa. The rest of us should do more research on Madarame. If we can't find any solid evidence in a week, we'll meet again and decide what to do from there." 

They agreed. Now that the decision had been made, the mood lifted a little. Even Ryuji seemed to be a bit less pissed-off. 

"I'm gonna head home, then," Ryuji said, getting up to find his train.

"Me too. Wanna walk with me, Nanako?" 

"Actually, I have something to do," Nanako said. Ann nodded and headed for the exit. That left Morgana, Ren, and Nanako on the platform. 

"Do you have a second?" Nanako asked. 

"Sure," Ren said. 

Nanako said nothing, then glanced awkwardly down at Morgana. 

"Oh, I see," Morgana said, his tone still annoyed. "I'll be back." 

He started down the accessway. Nanako waited until he was out of earshot...or...what she _assumed_ was earshot for a cat. 

"What's up?" Ren asked. 

"Back at Madarame's, when Kitagawa said the name of the piece...Sayuri. You gasped." 

Ren's face was unreadable for a moment. Then he smiled. 

"You caught that, huh? You're dangerously perceptive." 

"Why?" 

"It's probably nothing," Ren said. "But...you remember a while ago when I said that there were a lot of strange coincidences surrounding my life?" 

Nanako thought back to their date. Or, 'date.' She remembered sitting up in his room and listening to the story of how Ren had gotten to Tokyo through a very strange set of circumstances, and the he didn't understand the methods behind why - or how - his parents had sent him to live with Sojiro Sakura and attend Shujin Academy. 

"Yeah, I do," Nanako said. 

"Well...Sayuri is my mother's name." 

Nanako's eyes widened. "And that portrait is of her?" 

Ren laughed. "No. You saw the picture of her in my room, remember? It doesn't look anything like her at all. Which is why I said it's probably just nothing. Sayuri is a common name." 

"Yeah, that makes sense." 

"Can I ask _you_ something?" Ren said. 

"Sure." 

"Why do you think that people can have palaces without acting on their desires?" 

"I really don't know how to explain it. I'm sorry. If I could, I would," Nanako said. She wasn't sure _why_ she wouldn't explain the strange vision in her head. Maybe she was afraid of looking crazy. Or maybe there was something about the vision that she felt she should keep to herself. 

"That's okay," he said. 

"Does that mean you think Madarame is a target and we're wasting our time?" 

He adjusted his glasses and looked at the crowd walking by. 

"I think that the moment we start moving too quickly we risk using our power in the same way Kamoshida used his. I want to bring about justice, not reshape the whole world." 

"Yeah. Me too." 

Ren ran his hand through the tangle of hsi curls. "I better find Morgana and head home. I'll see you tomorrow." 

"Goodbye," Nanako said. 


	171. 5/17 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu and Yukiko.

"Hey, big bro...how did you meet Yukiko?" 

It was just the two of them for dinner that evening, evoking memories in Nanako of days long gone with the two of them sitting by the TV. Thankfully Nanako's cooking had improved since then. Rise was out doing...something idol-ish. Nanako couldn't keep up with her work schedule. 

"At school," Yu said with a shrug. 

"Well, yeah, I know that, but like, how did you meet _her_ in particular." 

"She was with Chie, and Chie was one of the first people I met. She introduced herself to me, actually. Then she kicked Yosuke for breaking her DVDof _Trial of the Dragon._ Then Chie asked me if I thought Yukiko was cute..." 

Nanako laughed. "Wow, really? That's an odd question." 

"Yukiko was the secret crush of everyone in Yasogami back then, at least according to Yosuke and Chie." 

"I bet it was a shock to people when she got married at 19," Nanako said. 

"It was pretty shocking...never thought she'd be the first one to get married." 

"Because she felt trapped at the Inn?" Nanako asked. Yu glanced up from his food, eyes studying Nanako. 

"What makes you say that?" 

"She told me about it before I left for Tokyo," Nanako replied. Which was true, thankfully, so it made lying to big bro easier. 

"Ah, yeah, well, she did feel trapped by it, but she eventually accepted it." 

"Because she had no other choice?" Nanako asked. 

"Mmm...maybe _accepted_ isn't the right word? She didn't give up or anything. She realized that she _wanted_ to take over the Inn and had pride in it and that her trying to run away from it was based off fear. Once she understood that about herself, she seized her life at full speed...in a lot of ways, I think Yukiko has it better figured out than the rest of us," Yu said. 

"So it was like...she had a strong desire to be something else and do something else...but she never acted on it?" 

"She thought about moving to Tokyo and doing something else. She even researched it. But I guess she didn't go through with any of it no...why are you asking about all this?" 

"Just trying to figure out my own life, that's all," Nanako said, which again wasn't a lie. Yu smiled and nodded. 

"What I've found is that deep down we know the truth about what we want, and what we want is both good and bad...in fact sometimes it's beautiful and ugly at the same time. But the more we accept that beauty and ugliness, the more power we have in changing our fates. So when in doubt, Nanako, just look for the true you inside yourself." 

"Thanks big bro," Nanako said with all sincerity. Her heart felt warmed by his words. 

"I wouldn't get married at 19, though," Yu added. "I don't think your father could handle it." 

"Yeah, you need to get married first so he can get used to it," Nanako said with a smirk. "When are you going to put a ring on that, anyway?" 

"I, uh..." Yu started to blush. "Well, you know how it is with the idol scene, they can't get married until they're 30." 

"They can't _officially_ get married until they're 30..." Nanako said. 

"I uh...I gotta go," Yu stammered, rushing to his feet. 

"Make an honest woman out of her, big bro!" Nanako yelled.

"Sorry, can't hear you!" 

"I want her to be real family!" 

"Closing the office door now!" 

"Take me with you when you go ring shopping!"

The door shut. 


	172. 5/17 - ????

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castle.

Nanako was in Kamoshida's castle. 

No. Not Kamoshida's. 

It was similar. Red velvet curtains and carpets, black and white checkered floors, mahogany wood fixtures...but it lacked the gaudiness of Kamoshida's castle. 

And all of the creepy Kamoshida statues. 

There was also a...fog...? 

Nanako caught a figure out of the corner of her eye and she spun around. 

_"Heehee...ah-hahahahaha!"_

The voice was feminine and distorted. Nanako froze in place, watching the beautiful girl in the pink princess gown turn to face her. 

_"Oh my, special guests! I wonder how htey'll play into all this. Things are really heating up~!"_

The girl took a step forward through the fog. Piercing yellow eyes were visible first - the eyes of a shadow. 

And they beaming out of Yukiko's face. 

_"Okey dokey, I'm going back to hunt for my Prince Charming! Ohhh, where could he be...? This place is huge! It's so exciting, but it makes it so hard to find him....oooh! Maybe he's playing hide and seek in the fog! Ready or not, here I come!"_

A splitting pain slashed through Nanako's head, as if she was struck by the most intense headache in the world for a second. And then it was gone. 

Now Shadow Yukiko floated above a crouched Yukiko in a kimono. 

_"Yes, Chie's my prince. Chie's a strong prince,"_ the Shadow Yukiko said. _"Or at least she WAS...but Chie isn't good enough! She can't take me away from here! She can't save me!"_

Another lightning bolt headache. Now Yukiko was standing.

"No! You're not me!" 

The world went black. Nanako felt herself tumbling head over heels, spinning faster and faster until she suddenly stopped, landing on solid ground in a crouch. The pain throbbing in her head subsided, and her vision cleared. 

"Hello, Nanako." 

Margaret. 

"What was that?" Nanako asked, picking herself up from the ground. Margaret tipped her head, letting a single ringlet of golden blonde fall across the side of her face. 

"What was what?" 

"That vision I saw just now," Nanako explained. "It was...my friend, Yukiko." 

"The priestess," Margaret said. 

"But...it wasn't her from now. It was her from years ago, from back when I first met her. When she was in high school." 

Margaret scooted forward in her cell, wrapping her hands around the bars and pressing her face forward. 

"What did you see?" 

Nanako told her, as best she could. 

"Those are memories," Margaret said. 

"Memories from what? I don't remember any of that, not even a little." 

"They're not your memories. They're his. Yu's." 

Nanako gasped, reflexively touching the Compendium. 

"This is unexpected...but there is a certain logic to it," Margaret said. "The Compendium is not just a Compendium of Personae. It is _his_ Compendium. It is forged from his journey, strengthened by his bonds. Your extended contact with the Compendium must be allowing you to remember some of what he went through." 

"So that happened? There really was a Shadow Yukiko?" 

"It would seem so," Margaret said. "Remember, I cannot speak too plainly of some things, Nanako. This is one of them." 

"Is this...bad?" 

"I don't know." 

Nanako looked at the Compendium. 

If it was true, and there _was_ a Shadow Yukiko....then was that castle her palace? And if so, did that confirm her theory that it was possible to have a palace, but not act on the desires? There was still so much about the Metaverse she didn't understand. And yet, Morgana didn't seem to know about it either. Why didn't he? Where did his knowledge come from? 

And why was it the one person who _could_ answer all this was stuck in a cage, unable to speak freely? 

"I will say this though...it is often wise to learn from the lives of others." 

"Right. Are you doing okay in here, Margaret?" 

Margaret looked surprised. "Well...I didn't expect you to care about how I was doing..." 

"Why not? You're stuck in a cell, it doesn't look that comfortable," Nanako pointed out. 

"You truly are a lot like him in so many ways...but I am doing fine. You don't need to worry about me. Unless..." 

"Hm?" 

"No, nevermind. There's no way to do that, is there? I was just thinking about cola...it's been so long since I've had any." 

"Cola? Like...the beverage?" 

"Yes. But, you enter here through your dreams, so there's no way to do it...but if you happen to think of a way, I would appreciate a cola." 

Nanako laughed.

"I'll see what I can do." 


	173. 5/18 - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako reads.

_"Unexpected train delays will be occurring throughout the Tokyo area in multiple wards. There is a general travel advisory in place from the department of transportation and it is advised that unneeded travel be avoided."_

Nanako sighed as she finished getting ready to head to school. It wasn't like her train stop was that far, but it would be a real pain to have to walk. She supposed she should just get ready for the inevitable delays. 

She was exhausted, though. She hadn't slept well as her subconscious had apparently gone into overdrive trying to parse through all the information flooding her head. Kitagawa, Madarame, Yukiko, Yu...it was a lot going on at once. Normally she'd just turn on her headphones and watch TV on her phone, but she was afraid that she'd just start doing more research on Madarame on her phone. 

Hm, maybe a physical book was what she needed. She perused by one of the bookshelves in the living room and scanned the titles until she found one she liked. 

_Heart of the Robot GIrl._

Then she walked to the station. 

As warned, there was a delay, so Nanako found an empty bench and started to read. 

_"...though she was originally designed as a weapon to fight nightmares, the spark of humanity inside her began to grow..."_

The book was apparently about an android that learned to be human. It made Nanako think about what it would be like slowly learn all the human emotions while having to fight terrible nightmares and felt her kindness grow. 

Soon the train arrived. 


	174. 5/18 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veggie time!

"It's time, Nana-chan." 

Haru and Nanako sat down at the table on the rooftop. Between them was a platter with several peeled carrots and a couple of sliced tomatoes - the first crop of their labors. Nanako's mouth watered. 

"They look amazing," Nanako remarked. "Look at how vivid the colors are!" 

"Yes, I'm quite excited...are you going to have the tomato, or the carrot?" 

"Hmm...I think I'll go carrot." 

"Then I'll eat the tomato! On the count of three...one...two...three!" 

They popped the vegetables into their mouths. 

A memory came slamming into Nanako at a thousand miles per hour - one she hadn't thought of in years. She was six years old, sitting a table surrounded by big bro and his friends, and there were four omelletes sitting in front of them: Yu's, Chie's, Yukiko's, and Rise's. It was a contest of some kind, and they were going to judge whose was the best. 

Three of them were absolutely awful. But Nanako had loved big bro's friends so much that she didn't want to hurt their feelings, so she had summoned up some other-wordly supply of patience and restraint and told them all with a sincere smile that their omelettes were good.

Even though they weren't. 

As the taste of the carrot passed over her, Nanako felt the dimension to unnatural patience open up to her and a big fake smile held across her face. She _would not_ break Haru's heart and tell her this was the strangest tasting carrot she'd ever had. 

Haru's face morphed into a dozen expressions within the span of a few seconds. Perplexed, aghast, curious, disappointed, hopeful - Nanako hadn't realized how beautifully expressive Haru's face was until that moment. She swallowed and brushed back a spring of curls from her forehead. 

"Well...I think I'll try the carrot now," Haru said. 

"Oh, good idea," Nanako replied, grabbing a tomato slice. Maybe that would be better-

-hrk! 

It definitely wasn't better. 

"What do you think?" Haru asked, her face going through another flicker of expressions. 

"It's good!" 

"Nana-chan! Don't lie! They're strange, and you know it." 

"...okay, so they don't taste like your average carrot or tomato," Nanako admitted. "They're kinda...bitter? Sour?" 

"Yes, I got the same impression," Haru said, dismayed. 

"But it's not entirely bad...it's like eating natto, you know? It's bitter and kinda gross but ultimately good for you. I feel kinda refreshed and energized from eating this, even if it wasn't tasty." 

"Yes...yes, I do believe you're onto something there," Haru said. "Well, I did find these seeds in a mysterious box of my house...I wonder if they're a special type of vegetable created for Okumura foods." 

"O-oh," Nanako said. Great, she was eating experimental mutant food. Maybe she'd grow an extra arm or something from eating it...but then again, she couldn't ignore how energized she felt, and that was only after two small servings. She wondered if she could harness this in the Metaverse the same way they had been using coffee and soda. 

"Haru-chan, do you mind if I take these with me? I want to experiment cooking with them at home." 

"Certainly!" she said beaming. 

_Pi pi pi_. 

**YU:** Well? Friend or no? 

Shoot, Nanako had completely forgotten to ask anyone, and it was already Tuesday. 

"Hey, Haru, do you know Rise-...er, Risette?" 

"The idol? I've seen her perform a few times, yes. Why?" 

"You want to go to a concert on Friday? My big bro has to go for work and said I could come along and bring a friend." 

"Really? Oh, that does sound fun. But...why does he have to go to a concert for work?" 

"He writes idol stories for the newspaper," Nanako explained. "Plus I probably would've gone to this concert anyway, I like to go to hers at least a couple times a year." 

"Wow, you're the much of a Risette fan?" 

"Huh? Oh...well, uh...you can't tell anyone this, but...I sorta...live with her." 

"W-what!?" 

"Yes, she and my big bro are dating. But that's a secret, so please don't tell anyone!" 

"My lips are sealed!...but you weren't kidding when you said you had famous and wealthy friends," Haru said. Nanako shrugged. 

"I've known her since I was a kid, she's more like a big sister to me than an idol. But her shows are always fun, and maybe we'll get to see Kanamin!" 

"Do you know her too?" 

"Yeah, sorta." 

Haru tapped her chin. 

"I'm starting to think you have more secrets than I do, Nana-chan." 

"If you only knew the half of it, Haru-chan." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I see this question a lot and I'm sure my Kanamin name drop isn't going to make it any clearer, so lemme layout some things. 
> 
> When I started this fanfic in July (Yikes, time flies) I had: 
> 
> Played Persona 4  
> Seen Persona 4 Golden anime  
> Played Persona 5 
> 
> Since then, I have: 
> 
> Finished Persona 5 a second time   
> Started Persona 5 Royal (Just finished Kaneshiro)   
> Watched playthroughs/clips of: Persona 3 FES, Persona 3 Portable, Persona Q, Persona Q2, Persona 4 Arena and Arena Ultimate X, P3 Dancing, P4 Dancing, and P5 Dancing. 
> 
> So as I've learned more stuff about persona, I've found new ways to incorporate things into the fanfic because they're fun. BUT, because I hadn't seen a lot of those things before, I didn't include them as "canon" background when I build the overall outline of this fanfic epic. Also, even though I had seen Persona 4 Golden Anime, I couldn't really remember the Marie parts that well.
> 
> So as far as canon things that exactly happened: 
> 
> Persona 3 Portable.   
> Persona 4
> 
> And that's it. Everything else I'm pulling from and may use, but as I do, I'll have to adjust their backstories accordingly. So like if Labrys shows up (and she might...), I'll add in how she relates to the overall situation and her backstory as it is relevant. It won't be me randomly jamming in that Arena Ultimate X suddenly happened. 
> 
> Hopefully that clears things up! I apprecaite how much you guys read into this fanfic and leave detailed comments on things. Persona fans are truly some of the most fun I've been involved in. Thanks for reading, as always!


	175. 5/18 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako clears trash and clears the air.

"I really appreciate this, Nanako," Yosuke said. "But you're really going to too much trouble..." 

"Not at all!" Nanako said. "Just making sure everything is nice and organized." 

After finishing up with Haru on the roof, Nanako had run into Yosuke on his way out of school. His apartment was within walking distance of the school, and he had casually mentioned that he had to go home and continue unpacking. 

Nanako invited herself over to help. 

This was a perfect opportunity to take stock of Yosuke's situtaion. Operation Hanamura Love Connection was still on her mind, but she before she and Ann started the convoluted work of pairing him off, she had to make sure that Yosuke was presenting his best self. That included inventorying his food, clothes, cleanliness, and hygiene habits. Not that Yosuke had ever been lax on those things, but...

So Nanako spent a few hours unpacking his boxes, folding clothes, arranging furniture. She got out a few trash bags and insisted that some of the things he had brought along with him were either old or broken and needed to be replaced or upgraded. Having always been a bit of a rich kid when he was younger, Yosuke had good taste his clothing, but Nanako suspected that his teacher's salary had meant that he had to make his outfits stretch a little longer. 

His kitchenware was a wreck, though. It was a hodge-podge of collected dishware and cooking utensils that he'd picked up cheap along the way. Nanako threw away a lot of the utensils right off the bat - it had either degraded to the point of being nearly broken or just had a vibe of being "gross" that Nanako couldn't ignore. 

"There, doesn't everything seem so much more clean and organized?" 

"That's because you threw away a third of my stuff!" Yosuke argued. "I can't afford to replace all this stuff..." 

"Just do it a little bit at a time. It's not like you do that much cooking, right?" 

"I...yeah, you're right," Yosuke admitted. 

"You should get on that. It's healthier and cheaper in the long run. Then you can buy some new clothes. It's been a while since you've indulged in that, right?" 

"Yeah...wait a second, what are you plotting?" 

"Hm? Nothing, no plot." 

"I smell a plot. Did Yu put you up to this? Or Rise?" 

"No, no, nobody put me up to anything," Nanako said truthfully. "I just want what's best for you. Everyone needs someone to keep them in line a little bit, don't you think? I'm just doing the job for a little while until someone special comes into your life." 

"Chie! Chie sent you to do this," Yosuke declared.

"Nobody sent me! But I do have to go, it's getting late." 

"I'll walk you to the station," Yosuke said. 

"It's fine, it's not far. You need to go take those bags to the dumpster." 

Yosuke sighed. "All right, but text me when you get home, okay?" 

"I will. See you tomorrow!" 

Nanako walked to the station and got onto the train that would take her back to Shibuya. She mentally thought through what she needed to do the rest of the evening: make a simple dinner, do some studying, and then if she had any mental energy left, she would work on figuring out how to investigate Madarame some more. Maybe she'd eat one of the bitter energy vegetables to help out. 

When she got to the station, Nanako disembarked and headed up the steps to the ground level. When she got there, though, she saw someone she wasn't expecting. 

"Oh, hey Morgana." 

The cat jumped and spun around, surprised. 

"O-oh. Nanako. " 

"What are you doing here by yourself?" Nanako asked, glancing around the station looking for Ren. 

"Ren was busy with...something," Morgana said. "I just came by here to check something out." 

Nanako crouched down beside him. "In Mementos?" 

"Yeah." 

"Did you find what you were looking for?" 

Morgana said nothing, refusing to meet her gaze. 

"Are you mad at me?" Nanako asked. 

"No...not exactly..." Morgana said. Nanako reached out and picked Morgana up. 

"H-hey!" 

"I can't just stand here and talk to a cat in the middle of the station," Nanako said. "Come on, let's go figure this out." 

Nanako walked over to one of the benches over near the Shibuya crossing. She set Morgana down and then sat next to him. 

"What's wrong? We can't be at odds if we're going to work together in the Metaverse," Nanako said. 

"You...confuse me," Morgana said, struggling with the words. 

"How so?" 

"I don't know how to explain it, exactly. But your knoweldge of the Metaverse, your useage of Personas...it feels off to me. Almost all of my memories are gone. The few I have left are related to the Metaverse and its rules. But you contradict them at every turn. You should not be able to summon multiple Personas. You haven't even summoned the spirit of rebellion needed to create one." 

"I told you, the power is borrowed from my big bro," Nanako said. 

"I know, but _why_. Why is that allowed to happen? Who made that happen?" 

Nanako considered this a moment. Explaining Margaret would ease most of Morgana's immediate quesitons, but he'd no doubt have more - and those would be questions Nanako didn't know how to answer. But something in her gut was telling her not to say anything about Margaret. Perhaps it was the precariousness of Margaret's situation - she kept saying that she couldn't attract too much attention to herself or they would lose their connection. As best as Nanako could tell, Margaret was being held somewhere in the Metaverse, which operated on cognition. Telling someone else about Margaret would alter the cognition of her, which would probably have an effect in the Metaverse. 

And draw more attention to her. 

"I can't explain it," Nanako said. "It just is." 

"I'm frustrated," Morgana admitted. "I don't want to believe what you say about palaces. It goes against what I know about them. But everything you do goes against what I know should be true, but it's still happening. That means you could be right about the palaces." 

"What's so wrong with that? Do you always need to be right?" Nanako asked. 

"It makes me wonder if even those memories of the Metaverse are real, or if they're damaged somehow too." 

Now Nanako understood. Everything Morgana worked for was in hopes of getting his memories back and returning to his human form. He had hoped that by helping change Kamoshida's heart that something would return to him, but it didn't. And now, Nanako was making him wonder if what he had was even real. 

He hadn't gained anything, and now he might be _losing_ what he had. 

"I'm sorry," Nanako said. 

"Well...it's not really _your_ fault, is it? I'm sorry I took it out on you. But, I did discover something important! Mementos has grown." 

"Grown?" 

"Well, not exactly grown...but I think we can go further. There was a lock before, a barrier I couldn't get past. But that barrier has changed now...I think if Ren goes in with me, we can get past it." 

"Then maybe you'll learn more!" Nanako said, excited. "We will have to go to Mementos soon. All of us. And we'll push until we can push no further." 

"You...you'd really do that for me?" 

"Of course. We're teammates." 

"Okay...thanks, Nanako." 

Nanako pet Morgana - she couldn't help it. 

\- - -  
 **SOCIAL LINK RANK UP**  
  
The Tower: Morgana  
  
Level 2  



	176. 5/18 - Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plan in motion

_Pi pi pi_

Nanako rolled over in her bed and swiped around for her phone. She groaned and squinted as her eyes adjusted to the sudden burst of light.

> **REN** : Sorry for the late text, everyone, but I have a plan for Madarame.
> 
> **RYUJI** : For real!?
> 
> **REN:** Nakanohara. He made a post on the Phansite with a request regarding Madarame and asked to meet us in person.
> 
> **REN** : I did some research this afternoon on all of Madarame's previous exhibitions and managed to find the names of several of his past students. I confirmed that Nakanohara was one of them. He will be able to confirm the rumors about Madarame, one way or the other.
> 
> **NANAKO** : But that's way too risky. We can't meet him in person, even if his heart is changed. If the police find out who we are...
> 
> **REN** : I agree. But I have a plan for that. We need to meet up at lunch tomorrow to talk it out. The meeting is set for tomorrow, after school.
> 
> **REN** : Also, Ann will need to bring some things.
> 
> **ANN** : Huh? Me? Why?
> 
> **REN** : You'll understand in a second.

Nanako watched the list unfold on her screen.

Oh good grief. Just what was Ren planning?

Nanako turned her phone over on her bedside table and shut her eyes. She could deal with that terror in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It always irked me that they met Nakanohara in person...


	177. 5/19 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pink hair.

_Pi pi pi_. 

Nanako answered her phone. 

"You ready?" Ren asked. 

"Yes, but I still think this is stupid and needlessly complicated," Nanako said.

"Noted. Just be ready to make the call." 

Nanako sighed. "Yes, I'm ready." 

He hung up and Nanako walked over to the window. She was alone in the accessway, their new "hideout," looking over the Shibuya crossing and the front of the train station. This was where the whole thing was supposed to happen. 

Nanako felt her heart racing in her chest. Even though the plan was complicated, she still wanted it to work. Not only for the sake of getting information from Madarame, but also because she wanted everyone to be safe. If they showed their faces to this man or if he figured out who they were...

It would only take one slip up. One tiny mistake on their end, especially about Nanako's involvement, and Naoto would figure it out. Sometimes Nanako was sure she had _already_ figured it out. 

There. 

Nanako spotted Nakonahara's bowl haircut. He looked pretty much the same in person as he had in the Metaverse, which was convenient for them. He wandered into the station square, looking around for the contact. 

Morgana hopped down from his perch on the top of the green rail car and ran right over to Nakanohara. He looked up, paper in his mouth. He must have meowed or something, because Nakanohara immediately looked down. He knelt beside Morgana and took the note in his mouth. 

Nanako knew what the note said: FIND THE PINK HAIRED GIRL.

Which was Ann, of course. The pink wig was the only one she had, a leftover from one of her more extravagant fashion shoots. She also wore big sunglasses and a long black coat over black slacks and black high heels - the black meant to bring out the contrast in the wig. 

Ann stood at the opposite end of the square, with dozens of people between the two of them. Nakanohara started to make his way across, his eyes fixed on the pink hair. 

Ren walked past him. 

Then Ryuji bumped into him.

Ryuji waved his arms and generally made a scene, looking like he was threatening to get into a fist fight with him. Nanako held her breath as she watched Ann pull off her wig and then turn her coat inside out - it was reversible from black to red. Now blonde and with a red coat, Ann walked across the street, joining a crowd. 

Ryuji finished his fake diatribe, and Nanako watched carefully. Ryuji made his way quickly towards the station stairs and Nakanohara swiveled his head back and forth, once again trying to find the girl with the pink hair. 

Nanako dialed. 

The phone rang. She watched as Nakanohara looked with confusion at his pocket, then reached in to pull out Ren's phone. He frowned as he answered. 

"Hello?" 

"Nakanohara," Nanako said in her most sultry and secret-agent voice....which was very sultry, admittedly. "Tell the Phantom Thieves your request." 

"How do I know this is the real Phantom Thieves?" 

"Do you think anyone else could make a phone appear in your pocket?" Nanako said. "But if you need further proof...you recently stopped stalking someone, didn't you?" 

"Y-yes...I see...so a change of heart was already triggered inside me. I thought as much. "

"What is your request? We don't have much time." 

"Ichiryusai Madarame, the great artist who has a show in the museum. He plagiarizes the work of his students and abuses them at the same time." 

Nanako felt her heart racing again and it took tremendous concentration for her to slow it back down. 

"We have seen the rumors online. What evidence do you have?" 

Nakanohara sighed and pushed his glasses up onto his forehead to rub his eyes. 

"My own life, for starters. I was a student of his. I lived at his attellier and studied under him for years. At first everything was great...but then the time came for a museum exhibition. He came and said that he was suffering a terrible artist's block and that he wasn't going to be able to fill his contract and it could mean financial disaster...so of course I donated some of my pieces to him. But that was just the beginning. He continued to require me to donate my work again and again, always using subtle psychological manipulation...sometimes even physical beatings when he lost his temper. Or sometimes he would have me do horrible repetitive drawing exercises for hours on end as a way of injuring our hands and breaking our spirits." 

Nanako felt a tremendous anger and sadness building up inside her, but she had to keep it back. She was the Phantom Thieves, she had to stay cool. 

"The last straw though was when my friend committed suicide." 

Nanako gasped. 

"Yes," Nakanohara said. "It was brushed away, reported as a sudden death, but I know the truth. He couldn't take Madarame's abuse anymore. There was no escape. Madarame is too powerful in the art world. If we tried to strike out on our own, he would use his power to crush us and ruin any chance we had of a career. But at that point, I didn't care. I left anyway. I'd rather give up my art than die for it." 

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Nanako said. It was very phantomy, but it was how she felt. 

"It's all right...I was lost, but you've helped me see the error of my ways. I see a path forward now. I wrote in to the Phansite once before, but that was because I wanted revenge. That's not the case any longer. Madarame has one last pupil living with him - Yusuke Kitagawa. I want you to save him." 

"You believe he's being abused?" 

"He's in the worst position," Nakanohara said. "Madarame raised him from a child. He is the closest thing Yusuke-kun has for a father. Because of that, he chooses to ignore the horrible things that have happened. He feels he owes him his life, and he gives everything he can to that man...but Madarame doesn't see him as a son. He sees him as a well-placed tool. Yusuke-kun has an incredible talent, and I'm sure he will profit off of it for many decades to come." 

Nakanohara sighed. 

"I tried to take him with me when I left. I thought he was blinded by love, but Yusuke-kun knew what was happening. He felt he owed it to him. But he doesn't understand what will happen to him if he stays. I barely made it out...he's just a high schooler. He still has a chance for a good life, if only you'll change Madarame's heart and free him." 

Nanako pressed his hands into her eyes to wipe away the tears. She took a deep breath to compose herself. 

"Your request is accepted." 

"Thank you," Nakanohara said. "What do I do with the phone?" 

"Give it to the cat," Nanako said, and hung up. 

Morgana stood beside Nakanohara again, this time wearing a tiny backpack. He bent down and slipped Ren's phone into the pack and Morgana dashed away into the crowd. 

"You okay?" 

Nanako leapt up and spun around, her hands in a semi-kung fu stance. Ren jumped back a little startled.

"Stop sneaking up on me!" 

"Sorry, I forgot," he said. "But seriously, are you okay?" 

"Yeah...but Madarame...we're taking him down." 

Ren let loose his Joker grin. 


	178. 5/19 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission Start

"The proposed target is the great artist Madarame," Ren said. The Phantom Thieves reclined against the walkway. Nanako had already filled everyone in on what Nakanohara said on the phone. 

"We only strike if we're in unanimous agreement. I vote yes," he said. 

"Hell yes, we're taking him down," Ryuji said. 

"I agree. We need to help Kitagawa," Ann said. 

"I vote yes," Nanako said. 

"Yep," Morgana added. 

"Then it's decided. Same as last time, right Morgana?" 

"Infiltrate the palace and secure the route, send the calling card, steal the treasure," Morgana said. "But remember, Madarame has a stronger will and more influence. His Shadows will be stronger. We're going to have to get stronger too." 

"That's what Mementos is for, isn't it?" Nanako added. "Plus we need to scout further and find out what's down there." 

"Oh, right, we have to help Mona out," Ann said. 

"All right, so when do we start? Now?" 

"No, I need a few things," Nanako interrupted. "I...need one more piece for my disguise. I'll have it tomorrow though, for sure." 

"And we need to secure a few more items for the infiltration," Morgana added. "Supplies, materials...we're working on a few things." 

Ren nodded to that. 

"Well, today's Wednesday, and you're gathering things tomorrow, so...Friday?" Ryuji asked. 

"Actually I'm busy Friday," Nanako said, looking apologetic. 

"It's fine. We'll plan for Saturday. If something changes, I'll message you all," Ren said. Ryuji shrugged. 

"Works for me." 

"Yeah. See you guys later," Ann said, turning and heading for the stairs. 

"Wait up," Nanako called out. She rushed after Ann, catching up to her. 

"Oh, do you want to walk home together? I was thinking of getting a snack...that operation made me hungry." 

"Sure, but um...there's actually something I need to talk to you about," Nanako said. The anxiety clenched at her chest. "Something about Sano-kun." 

Ann shrugged. "Okay," she said, completely unaware of what Nanako was going to ask her to do. 

She just hoped it wasn't going to make things weird. 


	179. 5/19 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako comes clean.

"Cosplay!?" 

Nanako hugged the pillow harder. The two of them were in Ann's room, having gone up to her place after they ate crepes. Nanako had put off telling Ann what she had promised - or implied-promised - to Sano until they were inside. Then she had found the heart pillow on Ann's chair.

Then she held it.

And now she hid behind it. 

"What kind of cosplay?" Ann asked. Nanako winced again, but leaned over enough to reach into the top of her book bag with her two fingers. She managed to grab onto the cover of the "Library Chicks" manga and then toss it to Ann. She caught it and looked at the cover.

"...I'm guessing it's the one in the leather corset?" 

"I'm sorry," Nanako said. "I...I don't know what I was thinking. I panicked, I agreed to something that you didn't agree to. I guess at the time I figured you were a model, you wouldn't mind, but that's totally crossing a line. I'm going to call him and tell him no. In fact, I'm going to call him right now." 

"Nanako, slow down," Ann said emphatically. Nanako hid behind the pillow. Ann studied the cover of the manga a little longer. 

"Mm...it is pretty revealing..." 

"I know! I'm sorry!" Nanako said again. 

"But, Sano-kun's not creepy, right?" 

"Huh? Oh, no. I mean, he measured me once for the holster and that was kinda...intimate." 

"Oh, yeah, that happens all the time. But did you get the sense he was trying to do it to get an extra feel, or was he just measuring? You know, professionally." 

"I didn't feel any ill intention from him, if that's what you mean," Nanako said. Ann nodded. 

"Well...I guess it wouldn't hurt to be a little more daring," Ann said. "To be honest...my modeling lately has hit sort of a snag. Lately there's this other model, Mika...ah, it doesn't matter. But she says I don't take it seriously and I'm not pushing myself far enough, and I think she's right. If I want to keep this career going, I need to find out my limits." 

"I don't want you to do anything that'll make you uncomfortable, though. Especially as a favor for me. It's not like we're talking about a major fashion magazine or something, it's just some cosplayers and a leather guy making a point." 

"I know, but...mmm..." Ann rested her head on her chin. Nanako admired her for a moment - Ann was so lean and tall that even her most common poses had a model-like quality to them. She also seemed a bit more graceful lately, and Nanako wondered if her whip training had improved her physical awareness. 

"Do you ever feel weird about being beautiful?" Ann asked. 

"Huh? You're asking _me_ that? I'm not beautiful." 

"Yes you are! I've seen lots of boys look at you." 

"L-lots?" Nanako asked, feeling a blush glow on her cheeks. 

"Sure, especially when school started. You were the new girl, after all, and I heard all sorts of people talk about how pretty you were - and how you were too beautiful to be a criminal's girlfriend." 

"That's just a bunch of school rumors, though. I'm not like you." 

"No, you're not like me. I'm a _hafu_. I'm too tall, too white, too blonde, too busty, too blue-eyed...all of the things that make me a good model make me stand out in the rest of the world. There's an American saying that I think about a lot - the tallest nail is the first to get hit with a hammer." 

"Oh, yes, I suppose," Nanako said. "But that's why I feel bad about this. You don't want all this attention, and -" 

"But, sometimes I do," Ann interrupted. "See the contradiction? At school, people make fun of me or spread rumors or just...ignore me. But when I'm modeling, I'm special - people literally pay money so they can take a picture of me. And sometimes that gets confusing in my own head. And then when boys look at me, it's a whole other level of confusion..." 

"There's a difference between modeling and being objectified by some random guy," Nanako said. "In one case you're making art, or selling a product, or making someone feel something. In the other, another person is using you as fantasy fuel for their own pleasure." 

"Like Kamoshida," Ann said.

"Yes. Like him." 

"I know," she said. "It doesn't make it any less confusing...after all, being beautiful has advantages. I can't say that it doesn't. People at school aren't always the nicest, but others treat me differently because of how I look. And overseas? It's even stronger. It's not fair, but it's how people are..." 

"So you want to be taken seriously for your mind," Nanako said. Ann laughed.

"What mind?" 

"You're not stupid," Nanako insisted.

"No, I'm not. But I'm not crazy smart, either. I'm not like Niijima-san...or you. You have a brain that could change the world, Nanako. I'm average in that department, and it's fine. So why shouldn't I use my beauty, right? When I see other models, it makes me happy. It can inspire me. It can lift my spirits. I know some people feel that way about my work too...I suppose that's why I empathize with Kitagawa-kun so much. I understand what he means about projecting beauty into the world." 

Ann sighed and rubbed her eyes. 

"I'm tired of thinking about this. I've made my decision! I'll do it, so long as I don't get creepy vibes from Sano _and_ the quality of his work is good," Ann said. " _And_ , I need a favor from you." 

"Certainly, anything," Nanako said. 

"I'm visiting Shiho next week....I want you to come with me." 

"Oh. Uh, sure, that's not a problem, but...I don't know her that well..." 

"It's fine. I just want you to be with me." 

"Okay," Nanako said with a shrug. "Thanks, Ann. And sorry about all of this..." 

"It's okay, stop apologizing. But you know...you're going to have to be in this photoshoot too." 

"Yeah, I know..." 

"I bet Ren would like a copy." 

"A-Ann!" 

Ann laughed while Nanako hid behind the pillow again. 


	180. 5/20 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the leathershop in Ueno.

Nanako was nervous. 

She wasn't sure why. Sano and Ann had met before. Nanako was very confident in her non-creepy endorsement of Sano. And yet there was this brimming anxiety chest beneath the surface of her chest.

She really wanted this to go well. 

But why? The whole cosplay thing was just a ruse to keep Sano off the track of their Phantom Thieves activity. Nanako didn't really care if Ann put on a crazy leather corset and take pictures. She did want to help Sano out with his dreams, but was that a good reason to feel this nervous? 

"Do you mind lifting your arm a little, Takamaki-san?" Sano asked, holding his measuring tape in place as he took a measurement of Ann's bust.

"Sure," she said, moving non-chalantly. 

Nanako looked around the room and breathed in the scent of leather, wishing there was something for her to do. 

"Okay, I think that's everything I need," Sano said, winding up his measuring tape and moving over to his notepad to scribble down some more numbers. "Thanks for your patience." 

"You're quite good," Ann said. "I've worked with professionals for my modeling job, and you take measurements just like them." 

"Ah, well, thank you," Sano said, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. "I'll be right back." 

Ann walked over to her letterman jacket and pulled it back on, then rejoined Nanako. 

"So...?" 

"Hm? Oh, he did fine. You were right, not creepy at all. He's just very passionate about his leathermaking and wants it to do well...I understand that passion. My mom is the same way about the things she designs. He's interesting. He's got a craftsman attitude and demeanor, but there's an almost artistic soul inside of him." 

Nanako narrowed her eyes. "Why are you talking so...flowery?" 

"Hm? Am I? He's handsome, don't you think? His arms are so strong and he's got an easygoing personality..." 

"Are you interested in him?" Nanako asked. 

"No. But you should be." 

"W-what!? Me?" Nanako hissed, pulilng Ann further away from the back room so that Sano wouldn't accidentally overhear anything.

"Yeah, why not? You said yourself you weren't sure what kind of guy you wanted, and Sano is about as different from Ren as you can get. Maybe you could figure out your feelings if you went on a date with him!" 

"A date!? That's...a little forward, isn't it?" 

"It's a good idea," Ann insisted, her voice lilting in a sing-song. 

"What if he's not interested?" 

"Oh, he's definitely interested. Just watch his expression when he looks at you." 

This was preposterous. Ann had said some outlandish, teasing things about her and boys before, but this was out of the question. Why would Sano be looking at her? She was so completely plain compared to someone as unique and gorgeous as Ann. There was no way he'd be thinking about Nanako's ordinary body after being so close to Ann's. 

"Ah, I almost forgot, Nanako-san," Sano said as he rushed back into the room. "We have to try on the jacket." 

Sano held out the bomber jacket. It was gorgeous, Nanako had to admit. The back had a pattern stitched into it that matched the swirling design of the "Library Chicks" character that she was supposed to be cosplaying. Sano handed it to her and she slipped it on. 

It was a perfect fit. The leather was strong but supple, the aroma giving Nanako a sense of masculine comfort, as if she were being hugged by a strong man. She moved around a bit in it, striking a few poses - yes, it was flexible enough that she could fight in the Metaverse in it, but strong enough to survive the wear and tear of their adventures .

It also looked super badass. Nanako studied herself in the mirror, checking several angles. 

"You look great!" Ann said. 

"It's amazing, Sano..." Nanako said, drifting off. She looked up in the mirror to make eye contact with Sano.

She saw it. Sano's face was looking at her with a sincere admiration and a...longing, maybe? She tried to find words to describe the expression, but she couldn't. All she was left with was the distinct impression that was the face of someone with a crush. 

Nanako blushed. 

"T-thank you," Nanako said. "For making it, I mean. It must've been hard work." 

"It was nothing," Sano said, smiling. "So uh...I'll just ring you out." 

They went to the register to settle up the tab. Nanako felt her heart pounding.

Sano? A date? He was definitely good looking, and definitely a nice guy...and he was definitely interested...but...could she really use him like that? Going on a date with him to help figure out her feelings for Ren? That seemed manipulative and wrong, especially if Sano's feelings were true. 

"You want a receipt?" he asked. 

"Oh, uh, no. That's okay." 

"I'll uh...let you know when the corset is getting closer to being done...did you need anything else? Any other projects to work on?" Sano asked. 

"Um. No, I...can't think of anything at the moment," Nanako said. "But I'll text you if I do, okay?" 

"Sure," he said, smiling, though with a hint of disappointment in his voice. 

The moment had passed. Neither one of them had made the first move. Nanako rejoined Ann and they walked out of the store. 

"No, huh?" Ann asked. 

"Well...I don't know. I'm going to think about it. You kinda sprung it on me there." 

"Yeah, I guess I did...sorry..." 

"No worries," Nanako insisted. "You're just looking out for me. I appreciate it. But are you really just going to set me up with every nice guy we know? Aren't you interested in any of them?" 

Ann shrugged. 

"I'll make my move when I want to." 

"Yikes. Definitely a Panther..."

"S-shut up!" Ann said, blushing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, it's been a rough week, and honestly next week is going to be pretty crazy too, so I might be a bit slower on the updates. Sorry! 
> 
> Btw, anyone else getting P5 Strikers!? I'm totally pumped for it.


	181. 5/20 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emperors.

"How come you didn't tell me you were workin'?" 

Chie glared. 

" _You_ didn't tell _me_ you were going to randomly show up!" 

"Well it's a _surprise visit_ , senpai! It's not much of a surprise if I tell you," Kanji grumbled back. 

"Stop calling me senpai! We graduated high school like ten years ago!" Chie sighed. 

"How was I supposed to know you were workin' based on what you said? Your text just said 'I'm at a museum' and I said 'which one' and you told me and then I'm here. I mean, why you are guardin' this museum anyway? Ain't they got museum guards?" Kanji asked. 

Chie groaned and crossed her arms. She had asked the exact same question when she had gotten the last minute orders to pull a double shift and stand guard at the frou-frou Madarame exhibit. Of course she was the _only_ officer on duty, which meant that this was still retaliation from the chief. How long was he going to be mad about her little kung fu stunt? Wasn't enough enough? 

"It's a long story, Kanji. The point is, I'm stuck here at this museum for a while, so you can go if you want. I'll catch up with you tomorrow." 

"Can I go in? I kinda wanted to see the Madarame exhibit." 

"Eh? Oh, I guess you are kinda into art, huh? Well, the exhibit's technically closed, but who cares, I have to _patrol_ anyway. You know, in case one of the paintings decided to get up and walk away on its own or something." 

Chie opened the museum door and led Kanji inside. They had to look like quite the interesting pair - her in her rumpled uniform, bags under her eyes, and hair that probably neede d a little trimming. Kanji had kept his hair mostly black in a daring swoop across his head, but had bleached a streak of it at the front - something of a halfway point between his delinquent phase and his "good student" phase he had in high school. He was still sleeveless, showing that he had added tattoos onto both arms over the years. He had a spiked belt and a pair of jeans but Chie knew that his boots were really expensive. 

Life of a famous YouTuber. Must be nice...

They strolled around the empty exhibit. Kanji stopped at each one and examined it a bit before moving on to the next one. Chie had been staring at them for hours now, and her own sense of art wasn't that well-refined. To her, some of them looked cool, some didn't. 

Kanji stopped in front of a bold sunset, painted in a blazing oranges and bright turquoise. 

"Huh," he muttered.

"What?" 

"How come they put you here again?" 

Chie grumbled. "Not that it matters, but the excuse I was given is that Madarame has been robbed before. His most famous piece was stolen or something, so they put me to help protect it..."

"And they never found it?" 

"Dunno. Why?" 

"Eh, maybe it's nothing," Kanji said, rubbing the back of his head. "But I had a weird conversation with Nanako a few days ago. She was talking about art and personal styles and stuff like that...looking at all these pieces got me thinkin' about it, that's all." 

"Why?" Chie asked, confused. 

"Eh, it's like...kinda feels like these were all made by different people," Kanji said. "Then again, he is supposed to be a master of multiple styles. That's probably the whole point." 

A jarring slam echoed through the museum halls, followed by the sound of a grunt. Both Chie and Kanji spun towards the sound.

"The hell was that?" 

"I don't know. Stay here," Chie said, taking the lead and grabbing her flashlight. 

"No way, I'm backin' you up." 

Chie didn't have time to argue, so she pushed on with Kanji trailing behind her. As it turned out she didn't need the flashlight because the next hallway was well-lit. She saw a thin young man standing in the center of the hallway, a massive portrait balanced in his arms. He was taking step after laborious step trying to keep it upright. It was so huge that Chie thought it probably needed two, maybe three people to move.

"Nngh...no!" the young man cried out as he lost his balance. He fell to his knees and looked up to watch the painting crash to the ground.

Except it didn't. 

"Hey, you all right?" Kanji asked, holding one end of the painting. Chie held the other.

"Ah....my goodness. Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for catching that, if I had dropped one of sensei's works it would have been disastrous." 

"Where do you want it?" Kanji asked. 

"I'll lead you, and lend a hand." 

"No, it's okay, we got it," Chie said. Despite spending all day making videos and sewing dolls, Kanji was still pretty built, so the portrait, though huge, wasn't a huge burden. The young man nodded and led them down the hallway. The three worked together to hang it on the blank space of wall. Then the young man spent several minutes framing it with his fingers and making adjustments to make sure it was perfectly straight. 

"Ah, perfect. Again, I'm in your debt," the young man said. 

"No problem, but...why are you moving it by yourself? And you're wearing a student uniform, why are you even here?" Chie asked. The young man's posture changed, looking defensive. 

"My name is Yusuke Kitagawa. I'm Madarame's ward and apprentice. I have been helping him make some changes to the exhibit. He left me a list of tasks to do. May I ask why you're here?" 

"I'm Officer Satonaka, assigned for security detail." 

"I'm just hangin' out." 

Chie glared at Kanji. Kitagawa gave Kanji a puzzled look, but didn't comment further. 

"I see. Well, thank you for your help." 

"Why did he have you lift that by yourself?" Chie asked. "It's too heavy. He should've gotten you some help." 

"I do not mind a bit of hard labor in the pursuit of beauty. An artist's work is not just the refined motor control, but also pure physical strength and willpower. These sorts of tasks keep the mind and body prepare for anything." 

"You could probably get the same effect doing a few pushups," Kanji said. "That looked dangerous. You should stick up for yourself next time." 

"Stick up for myself? This is the training of my sensei, of a true master. It would be foolish to reject his guidance." 

"Or maybe he's just too cheap to hire someone to move it right," Kanji said.

"Kanji, leave him alone..." Chie muttered. 

"What? Kitagawa-kun here ain't dumb, he knew that portrait was too big for him to move by himself. And if he'd dropped it, you think his sensei woulda just let that go?" 

"Just what are you insinuating here, sir?" Kitagawa said, standing tall, his voice turning haughty. 

"Just sayin' you should know what you're worth," Kanji said. "Listen, sometimes people use their expertise as a way to get you to do things with the promise that their expertise is gonna rub off on you, except they're just usin' you the whole time. The truth is that art is a path everybody's gotta walk for themselves, on their own terms. Madarame can give ya pointers and tips, sure, but in the end you ain't making Madarame's art, you're making your own." 

Chie was deciding whether she wanted to stomp on Kanji's toes or just slap him across the face to get him to shut up, but Kitagawa's expression changed. A moment ago he had been ready to throw his noodle body against Kanji in a fight to the death. Now he looked shocked. 

"You have no idea what my life has been like," Kitagawa said in a low voice. 

"You're right, I don't have the whole story," Kanji said. "But when I look at you, for some reason, I feel like I'm lookin' at me from ten years ago. Maybe that's why I'm getting in your face about it. You don't gotta try and be something that you're not." 

"Are you in danger, Kitagawa-kun?" Chie asked with her most sincere voice. She'd had to have these conversations before as a police officer - trying to coax the truth out of abuse victims. Unless Kitagawa admitted to it, Chie couldn't do anything more. 

"No, I'm not," Kitagawa said. "But I suppose there is some truth to what Kanji-san has said. Sometimes I feel I should stand up more for myself and exert my own desires...but I owe Madarame too much. He raised me. He is like a father to me. And I must repay his kindness." 

"A parent should want their child to be who they were meant to be," Kanji replied. "I put my own mom through the ringer when I was a kid, but she always stood by me. When I started to make a little money I insisted on trying to repay her too, and you know what she said? She said that my happiness was enough repayment." 

Chie watched as Kanji rubbed a tear from one eye. He then dug into his pocket and handed Kitagawa a card. 

"Look, I'm getting into your business and I ain't gotta right to do that. But if you ever need someone else to talk to, you get in contact with me, all right?" 

"I...yes. Thank you for your kindness." 

Kitagawa gave them both a slight bow and walked away. Chie turned to Kanji.

"The heck was that about?" 

"Eh, sorry, I don't know what came over me...there was just something about him that made me feel like he was in a lot of pain. I get comments like that a lot on my channel and my social media. I try to help out where I can. I think a lot about if things would've been different had someone been there to help me out when I was that age." 

"Well...you wouldn't have met us," Chie pointed out.

"That's true. Yu and Yosuke and you...you all saved me. But geez, what would've happened if you hadn't saved me? Where would I be now?" He shook his head. "No, where I can help, I will. Maybe it's weird to aggressively hand out advice but...it's who I am." 

Chie patted him on the shoulder. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE NO P5 STRIKER SPOILERS!!!!


	182. 5/21 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts from Yu Narukami

"It's very nice of you to get this car for us, Okumura-san," Yu remarked.

"Oh, it was no trouble at all. It's the least I can do for inviting me to this concert. I haven't been to a concert in a long while, so I'm terribly excited. Oh, also, you don't need to be so formal, please feel free to call me Haru."

"Okay, I will, Haru-chan," Yu said. Haru smiled and went back to talking excitedly with Nanako. Both girls were amazed and excited - Nanako at being in a limo, Haru at going to see Rise in concert and then meet her backstage.

Yu didn't share Nanako's excitement at being in a limo. They'd sorta been ruined for him after the events of ten years ago. He kept wondering if the light was going to vanish from outside and he'd see Margaret smirking at him in the corner...

...Margaret.

He hadn't thought about Margaret for years, and yet at one point the two had shared a sort of bond, he thought. The only time he really gave her much thought was when Teddie had first gone missing, and he'd reached out to try and find her.

Reached out into what? Well, nothing, he supposed. He had tried thinking of her before going to sleep, he had tried staring at the TV at night, he had even tried praying to the Compendium. Nothing worked.

The one person that might have guided them back into the Midnight Channel, cut off from him completely.

_It was Nanako, Yu._

Naoto's revelation that Nanako had been seen with the victims of the Kamoshida case had shook him more than he wanted to admit. He had run home that evening and found everything where it was supposed to be, and he thought he had settled the matter once and for all. But doubt lingered, and in no small part because it was _Naoto_ who noticed it. She was very rarely wrong.

Then again, Naoto had also said it might be nothing - mere coincidence.

Watching her now, sitting in a limo and chatting with a friend, Yu wanted to believe that.

 _Pi pi pi_.

He reached for his phone.

 **YOSUKE** : Bro, where are you?   
**YU** : On my way to Rise's concert.   
**YOSUKE** : What?! And you didn't invite me!? Aren't there a bunch of other idols performing?   
**YU** : Well, I know Kanamin's gonna be there, and a few others, yes .   
**YOSUKE** : Brooooo! Come on!

Yu winced.

 **YU** : Sorry. I'll make it up to you. I'll have Rise introduce you to someone.   
**YOSUKE** : Really!? She'd do that?

Yu thought about it.

 **YU** : It'll be fine, I think.   
**YOSUKE** : You're not inspiring a lot of confidence, bro...   
**YU** : Sorry, heading in now, phones aren't allowed, talk to you later.

Yu quickly put his phone on silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I played some of P5S! Please keep spoilers out of the comments for others, but it's fun so far!


	183. 5/21 - Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Risette

The crowd swelled into a frenzy, arms flailing. A thousand people sung at the top of their lungs. 

_"Shout, friends! Just those words you really mean And let your voice be heard all over the world Stand up when you hear the knock on the door~!"_

Rise strutted to the front of the stage. 

"Remember everyone to reach out for your truth! Thank you all so much for coming, I love you all~!" 

The band ramped up for the finale. 

" _It's me, come on out;  
Get ready for your True Story~!_" 

At the final beat all the lights in the arena went out. The crowd cheered, and half a beat later the band started back up. The house lights rose and the announcer asked that everyone start to orderly leave the venue. 

"That was incredible!" Haru gushed. "I don't remember the last time I've had that much fun." 

"Isn't she just the greatest!?" Nanako said, surprisingly pumped up herself. Yu had taken Nanako to so many of these concerts that he wondered if they were starting to lose their shine - after all, she wasn't six anymore. But she was just as energetic as ever. 

That was Rise for you, though. She had a way of putting a smile on everyone's face. 

"You guys ready to head backstage?" Yu asked. He flipped closed his journalist's notebook, having finished the last notes he wanted to make. 

"Oh, please!...though, do I look okay, Nana-chan? I feel so plain and sweaty. Maybe I should touch up my make up..." 

"You look fine, Haru-chan," Nanako said. "No one is going to be sweatier than Rise after a performance like that." 

"Very well...oh, what will I say?" 

"Relax, she's like my older sister. It'll be fine," Nanako said, shoving Haru forward with both hands. Yu chuckled and followed along. He showed all of the needed badges and credentials to the security and they slipped backstage. There were a dozen stagehands moving all the equipment around for a megashow like this one - props, gliding stairways, laser light projectors, speakers, and what not. There were two main dressing room doors ahead with stars attached to them: one said "Risette" and the other "Kanamin." 

The other girls, a newer idol group called "The Chacha Cherries", had the large group dressing room at the other end. Yu was actually there to mostly write about _them_ , since it was a big deal for them to open for Rise and Kanami. 

Nanako led the charge and burst into Rise's dressing room. Yu followed after and shut the door behind them. 

"Hi Rise! That was a great show!" Nanako started. Rise sat on a high chair chugging a bottle of water. As Nanako had predicted, she was dripping with sweat. She wore only a strapless black bra and her "stage panties", as Rise called them. Haru looked a little stricken.

"Oh, my goodness! Please forgive our intrusion!" Haru said, bowing immediately. Yu almost laughed. Rise did chuckle a little. 

"Oh, don't worry about me. When you have as many costume changes as I do, you stop worrying about this," Rise said, gesturing at herself. "I think half the crew has seen me naked at this point." 

"O-oh," Haru stammered. Rise smiled brightly and toweled her torso off and then extended a hand. 

"I'm Rise Kujikawa. You must be Nanako's friend." 

Haru took the hand and shook it. "Y-yes! My name is Haru Okumura, it's very nice to meet you." 

Rise, being in the public eye, was very good at controlling her facial reactions. But Yu's eye could track the difference - she'd noticed the name "Okumura," much as he had, but she didn't comment on it. She went over to a nearby clothing rack and slipped on a robe before sitting back down. 

"So are you a fan, Haru-chan?" 

"Y-yes, well, sort of. Well, I wasn't a huge fan before, but I definitely am now! What an incredible show! I haven't been that moved in a long time!" 

"I'm glad to hear it! That's what I always hope for in every show, that people leave happy or inspired. What'd you think, Nanako?" 

"You did great, as always," Nanako said. 

"Annnnnd what did you think, senpaiii~?" 

Rise crossed her legs and then leaned her chin on her elbow, locking her gaze directly at Yu.

He felt completely frozen and on fire all at the same time. He couldn't resist her in general, but when she leveled that gaze at him, he was completely powerless. No tetrakarn or makarakarn would protect him. Not even Izanagi-no-Ookami was immune against it. 

"W-wonderful," he said. Damnit, did he just stutter?! 

Rise and Nanako giggled. 

"Wow, big bro flustered. I never thought I'd see the day," Nanako said. "You should just marry her already, a diamond like this only comes once in a life time." 

"N-Nanako, come on, cut it out," Yu said, feeling a blush on his cheeks. Haru was blushing furiously too, but she was starry-eyed with the romance she was observing. 

"Risette has an incredible control over him with a single look! I wonder if I could learn this power too..." 

"Stick around Haru-chan, I have many important lessons to impart," Rise said. She stood up and walked over towards at able, presumably to get some of the food laid out there. But she stopped mid-stride, turned and looked over her shoulder at Yu. 

"Ara ara~" 

"I-I need to go check something," Yu said suddenly, then zipped out of the room. This time all three girls laughed. 

Damn her, making him lose his composure like that! He'd make sure she paid for it ten times over later. 

"Eh? Narukami?" 

Yu turned around. 

"Oh, Ohya. What are you doing here?" 

His fellow journalist looked put-out, irritated, and tired. 

"Got assigned to cover Kanamin and the Okumura angle," Ohya said, looking irritated. "You?" 

"Chacha Cherries," Yu replied. "My cousin is a fan of Risette, though, so I got them backstage." 

"Oh, that's nice of you," she muttered. 

"What do you mean 'Okumura angle'?" Yu asked.

"Hm? You don't know? I would've thought if anyone had the scoop on that it'd be you. Kanamin Kitchen is reforming, but under the Okumura Foods brand." 

Yu thought about that for a moment. Kanamin Kitchen was a food-themed idol group from about 10 years prior. Rise had done some tour work with them, which is how Yu had originally met Kanamin. Of course, like most idol groups, they broke up after a while to pursue their own careers or leave the idol scene entirely. 

"That is pretty big news. Well, as far as idols are concerned," Yu said. 

"Mm. Well if you want to cover it, be my guest." 

Yu thought about it. It was probably the closest he'd get to covering actual news through his official position. Ohya might get in trouble, but she was already in trouble all the time, so what did it matter? 

But...

Haru was just a kid, so there was no possible way that she'd be involved in any of the Okumura business. Still, she might see that him writing about her family's company would be an abuse of her and Nanako's friendship. And, well...Haru was just a normal girl. In a normal friendship with Nanako. 

Seeing them together soothed Yu. He hadn't realized just how much he was worrying about Nanako until now. But knowing that she had a good friend that wasn't a potential criminal helped him understand it was all going to be okay. The last thing he was going to do was ruin that. 

"No thanks," he said. She sighed.

"Well, it was worth a shot. By the way, I looked into that guy...he's had an interesting career, you know. Never lost any cases." 

"That's not unusual for the Japanese court system, unfortunately," Yu said. 

"Yeah, true, but...some of those cases...I don't know. But you know how powerful he is, right? You sure you want to stick your nose in that?" 

"As sure as you are when you cross lines," he said. She shrugged. 

A girl with brown hair and huge glasses walked by. 

"I can appreciate that. Well, let's get in touch again soon. I have something I want to run by you." 

"Sure, sure." 

"Now, I better find Kanamin before she rushes off." 

"You just missed her," Yu said.

"W-wait, what!?" 

"Yeah, she looks very different when not in costume. Brown hair, glasses." 

"Oh, damnit!" Ohya said, running down the hallway. Yu turned towards a large speaker stack. 

"She's gone," he said. 

Kanami peeked her head out from behind the speaker and let out a breath of relief.

"Thanks, Yu-san," she said. 

"No problem. Congratulations on the Kanamin Kitchen, by the way." 

"T-thanks. Say, is Rise busy?" 

"She's in there with Nanako and her friend. I'm sure they'd love to see you." 

Kanami lit up. "Nanako's here!?" 

Then she rushed in. 

Yu took a moment and thought about Naoto's warning. He imagined it written on a piece of paper.

Then in his mind crumpled it up and threw it away. 

Nanako wasn't involved in any of that Phantom Thief nonsense. 

He was sure of it. 


	184. 5/22 - Early Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako sleepwalks.

"Nanako!" 

Nanako looked up. Ren was staring at her, eyes wide with confusion, standing on the other side of the train door. Nanako was a little confused.

Why was he looking at her like that? 

Why was she standing there...? 

He reached across, snagged her wrist, and pulled her onto the train. Nanako let out a little squeak as she crashed into Ren's arms. He held her - if only a moment - to regain her balance. 

"Are you okay?" he asked. Suddenly it all came back to her. She had been waiting on the platform for the train to school and had just closed her eyes for a moment...

"I think I fell asleep there for a second," Nanako said. "Sorry. And thanks." 

Ren scooped up his school bag, with Morgana inside, and gestured for her to take the seat. Nanako did. 

"Why are you so tired?" 

Nanako yawned. "I went to a concert last night, then afterwards I ended up going to dinner with everyone and we didn't get home until way too late...I should've just called in sick..." 

"A concert?" 

"Yeah, Rise's...wait, did I tell you I know Rise? I can't remember...I think I did..." 

He chuckled and dug around in his bag. 

"Don't worry about it, you just rest up. We're going in today, remember. I need you at full strength. Here." 

He produced a small purple thermos from inside his bag. 

"Hey, I was using that, it's warm..." Morgana complained through his own yawn. 

"All you do is sleep at school anyway, get over it," Ren remarked. He handed Nanako the thermos. She opened it, then popped open the top and breathed it in.

Coffee! 

Leblanc Coffee! 

"Wait, I can _have_ this!? You don't mind?!" 

"It's for you," he said. She immediately took a swig, enjoying the chocolately roast notes along the back of her tongue and feeling the warmth of the liquid glowing in her belly. 

"I love you..." she said dreamily. "Ah, I mean, you know! I love you for bringing this...coffee. I love the coffee." 

Ren pretended not to notice. 


	185. 5/22 - After School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako's new disguise.

Shibuya Terminal Accessway. 

They stood in a circle. Ann had her phone out on speaker. 

"The goal for today is to get as far as we can into the palace," Ren said. "Mapping the infiltration point was mostly dumb luck last time, but this time we need to be faster and smarter." 

"We also need to get stronger," Morgana added. "We should pace ourselves, but we need to engage with the new shadows and learn their weaknesses. Last time, we were only able to take advantage of the chaos in Kamoshida's palace because we knew everything there was to know about the shadows." 

"So are we sneaking or fighting?" Ryuji asked, looking perplexed.

"Both, in moderation," Ren said. "I know it's...confusing. Just follow my lead." 

"Okay, I can do that," Ryuji said. 

"I'm ready," Ann said. 

"What about Nanako?" Ren asked. 

Everyone looked at the phone. 

"Okay, yeah, I'm ready just...don't laugh, okay?" 

Ann looked up at the boys, her aqua eyes smoldering with the intensity of a neutron star. 

"No laughing here, ma'am," Ryuji said with a gulp. 

"I'm sure it's fine. Just get out here," Ren said. 

Down the hall, Nanako exited the bathroom. When she had first conceived of the idea of her new outfit, she had thought it was pretty brilliant. Now she just felt sorta silly. She was dressed as Kira, the character from "Library Chicks" that she was supposed to be cosplaying. She had the hat, of course, and the jacket, and finding a suitable black tanktop was easy but...the shorts...

She had to borrow some from Ann, and there was just...so much leg...

Nanako had her hair in a ponytail going through the back of the hat, and of course had her big bro's glasses. The gun and holster were temporarily tucked into the cover of the Compendium to keep it hidden. 

"Whoah, I barely recognize you," Ryuji said. "I guess that disguise will definitely work." 

"Yes, I leg it - like it!" Ren said, immediately catching his misspeak. He quickly went to adjust his glasses while Nanako blushed furiously and stared at the ground. 

"Ooookay, well," Ann said, bringing up her phone. "Madarame, Vanity, Museum." 

_Beginning navigation._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know that neutron stars aren't like that, but I liked the rhythm of that sentence so I left it anyway! Don't @ me, science nerds.


	186. 5/22 - Museum of Vanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Battles.

The statue was called _The Infinite Spring_. 

Those who could not contribute were not worth living. That's what it said, while a golden twist of children spiraled up into the ceiling. 

It had sickened Nanako. But it had infuriated Panther. 

Who was now taking it out on the shadows. 

"Carmen!" she cried, holding her whip in both hands. A whisp of her Persona's arm appeared, touching the handle of her whip, setting it ablaze. In a whirling spiral of righteous fury, she released the whip and sent it to strangle the nearest security guard shadow. It yelped in panic and grabbed at his neck, but the flames were already spreading. Panther gave it a sharp and sudden yank, separating the head from the shoulder, turning the shadow into melting ink. 

"Panther, behind you!" Mona called. Panther didn't even look, instead cracking her whip behind her, striking with another burst of fire. The first strike hit true, slapping the mask off of the shadow, forcing it to transform into a red-skinned fairy-like creature with ram horns. 

The name Hua Po leapt into Nanako's head from the Compendium. 

"Persona!" Ann yelled, pulling off her mask and spinning around.

"Panther, wait-!" Nanako yelled out. 

It was too late. Carmen's flames shot out in a blazing spout, but Hua Po merely laughed and made a curling motion with her fingers. The fire gathered up into her palms, then shot backwards at Panther. 

"What!?" Panther cried while Carmen rushed ahead of her to try and block the same blast of fire they had just created. Nanako flipped through the Compendium. 

"Izanagi!" Nanako shouted, crushing the card. "Rakukaja!" 

The protective spell swirled around Panther and Carmen just as the fire came rushing over them. The spell, combined with Panther and Carmen's innate resistance to their own fire, weakened the fire blast to a few tongues. Panther leapt back. 

"Are you okay!?" Nanako yelled.

"Yeah, just a little singed," she grumbled. 

"It's weak to gunfire," Nanako added. 

Panther grinned.

Both girls drew their weapons and let loose. Hua Po collapsed immediately, bleeding ink out of the new holes in its chest until it melted completely. 

"Come on you green asshole, go down!" Skull yelled. Captain Kidd hovered at his side, letting loose a continuous stream of lightning at the green boomerang mummy, Mokoi. The attack was doing some damage, but Nanako felt the wisdom of the Compendium warning her that it was resistant. 

"Mona!" Joker commanded. He had leapt upward and was perched on the Infinite Spring. 

"Zorro, my other self! Garu!" 

The green twists of wind energy erupted from beneath Mokoi, sending him stumbling backward.

"Phantom Thieves! All out attack!" Joker commanded. 

Skull was the closest, so he rushed forward first and cracked his pipe across Mokoi's face, rocking him onto his heels. Panther's whip lashed out and wrapped around his midsection and pulled Mokoi back forward, his head swinging down just as Nanako came rushing in to swing the Compendium in an uppercut into his face. 

The whip and book retreated and Joker descended from above, landing on Mokoi's shoulders. He grabbed Mokoi's arm to keep him from throwing his boomerang, then leaned back to stretch out and expose his chest.

Mona jump up and drove his cutlass straight through the center. 

Mokoi melted. The Phantom Thieves circled back to back, but saw no further shadows. 

"Phew," Skull said, rotating his arm. "This is only the third room and it's giving me a workout." 

"Come on, let's push on," Joker ordered. The Thieves fell in behind him as he led the way up the stairwell and into the next set of hallways. They avoided one patrolling shadow. Mona stopped. 

"This door...I think it's a safe room. The distortion is low here." 

He hopped up and pulled the handle down, and the Thieves slipped inside. 

The safe room looked the same as it did in Kamoshida's palace - marble and gold decorations, plush purple carpeting, and a beautifully crafted table for the team to sit at. Nanako flipped through the Compendium and summoned Pixie. The little sprite floated around above Panther, sprinkling glowing green Dia energy across her. 

"I didn't know they could throw fire back," Panther said. 

"Some of them are resistant against certain elements, some completely immune, and some can repel it," Mona said. "We'll need to keep track of these things as we continue on." 

"I can remember some of it," Nanako mentioned. 

"Me too," Joker said. "But Mona, can you help keep track?" 

"Of course. I, as the master tactician, will keep us one step ahead of the enemy," Mona said, crossing his cute little arms and tipping his head proudly. 

Nanako dug through her bag and pulled out one of Haru's carrots and snapped into it. The cognition of their healthy bitterness helped clear her mind immediately, but she still felt groggy. Joker slipped up beside her. 

"You holding up okay?" 

"I messed up," Nanako said. "I stayed up way too late." 

"You're doing fine, but speak up if you get tired." 

"I can keep going," Nanako insisted. Joker only nodded. 

"The rest of you?" 

"Yeah, let's go a little further. I'm tired, but it's that good kinda tired, y'know? The kind where you ache, but you know you'll be stronger for it in the end," Skull said with a grin. 

"I'm good too," Panther said. 

"Let's press on!" Mona added. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special shotout to P5S for giving me cool new ideas on how to write Persona battles. 
> 
> Speaking of P5S, I've randomly decided to start streaming it, so if you wanna hang out and chat about Persona or you don't want/can't get the game and want to see the story, my twitch name is "ingdaydreams." 
> 
> I'll probably post the recordings too, but I'll let you know when I get around to that.


	187. 5/22 - Museum of Vanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako uses time wisely.

"How the hell are we going to deal with that? And why is there a giant hole in the middle of a museum? 

Nanako and Skull were perched on a window, the rest of the team hiding in the hallway behind them. Skull had been excited when he saw the opening, thinking it would get them past the locked door, but now they were staring down at a very large hole in the ground. 

Nanako squinted. 

"Leap of faith. Only the penitent man will cross." 

"What?" 

Nanako jumped. Skull reached out, trying to grab onto her. She landed in the center of the hole, floating above it. 

"It's a painting," Nanako said. "The perspective makes it look like it's a real hole." 

Skull jumped down and landed on the floor painting beside her.

"Huh. How'd you figure that out? And what was that thing about faith and Pelican Man?" 

" _Pentitent_ man," Nanako corrected. "It's from the Last Crusade. You know, the three trials, the invisible bridge that is just painted there?" 

"The what?" 

"You've never seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade!? It's a classic American movie. Harrison Ford fights Nazis and finds treasures. Actually, he'd be a good Phantom Thief." 

Joker, Mona, and Panther leapt through the window and landed on the painting. Skull shrugged.

"Guess I'll have to download it somewhere," he said. 

Joker took point again, gliding in his inky smoothness into the next room and zipping up to a ledge, where he found another circulation vent and slipped into that as well. Panther had already declared that the boys were to always enter the vents first. Nanako went last and droped into the hallway to find the rest of the team had already hidden themselves along the wall. 

A shadow patrolled along the far end next to a room that was labeled "SECURITY." Nanako reached down her thigh holster, while the rest of her was eerily frozen in place. The shadow turned.

Then turned some more.

Then went into the security door. Nanako let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and slipped to the side of the wall behind Mona. 

"Isn't it odd that there's so much security?" Nanako asked. " It made sense in a castle, but even with valuable artwork around would there really need to be so much dedicated protection? And what about the infrared lasers? Those weren't there the first time we came in." 

"Madarame's more paranoid than Kamoshida was, again most likely because his secrets are older," Mona said. 

"Right, that makes sense, but what changed so recently? What activated the lasers in the past six days?" 

"Well, you see..." Mona started. Then he paused mid-sentence. And crossed his arms. And then looked defeated. "I uh...I don't know." 

"That's okay," Nanako said, patting his head.

"H-hey, don't pat my head! I'm not a cat!" 

"Sorry, I forgot. Panther pet you earlier and you didn't seem to mind." 

"Well, yeah, because that was Lady Ann..." 

They turned into the next hallway, which had a large golden vase in the center with several large paintings in wings on either side. Several of them looked to be packed in boxes, but none of it was particularly useful-looking. Joker nodded for them to continue on.

"Whoah...check this one out..." Mona said, lingering by the vase. "Isn't it so...shiny? I bet it's worth a lot in the real world...we could really use the money..." 

"Eh? Dude, that things huge, there's no way we can carry it back- wha!" 

Morgana leapt onto the vase, his eyes wide with uncontrollable lust. He let out a long _greeooooowwww~_ and followed it with a purr that was loud as a chainsaw.

"Mona, you tripped an alarm! Everyone back!" 

Nanako stepped backward but bumped into Skull. The two of them stumbled into a rapidly shutting security wall and fell to the ground. 

With an electric thrum, red laser beams blinked on, criss-crossing the entire area. Nanako crawled over towards one, wondering if she could slide underneath, but the gap was too short.

"Damnit, stupid cat," Skull mumbled. 

"Everyone okay?" Joker called out. 

"Skull and I are fine," Nanako replied.

"I'm okay too," Panther yelled from the other side of the room. 

"Geez...I can't believe I did that...I'm sorry everyone..." Mona said, still clinging onto the vase. 

"How are we going to get out of this?" Skull asked.

"Joker is fine," Nanako pointed out. Skull got up and peered over. Joker was indeed fine - he had managed to flip back to the main hallway, just outside the lasers. 

"Well, chop chop, leader," Nanako called. "Get us out of here." 

Joker grinned and went to do just that. 

In the meantime, Nanako sat down on the floor, setting the Compendium in her lap. Skull did the same, sliding his mask up to his forehead to rub his eyes. 

"Oh, no way," Nanako said excitedly as she opened the cover of the Compendium. 

"What? What is it?" Ryuji asked.

"Look what I have!" Nanako said, holding up three folded sheets of paper stapled together. "These are my notes from math today! I forgot I stuck them in there." 

"So?" 

"So we can study while we wait," Nanako said. "Come on, get closer so we can review." 

"What!? No way, we are in the middle of an infiltration! This is _not_ the time to be studying!" 

"Sure it is, a little bit of studying at a time strengthens the neural pathways your brain made with the information. Repetitive short bursts are always more effective than cramming a bunch of information in at once." 

"But...but! What if Joker needs help?!"

Nanako put a hand on her ear to listen.

 _"Persona! Arsene, ravage them! Eiga! Persona change, Mokoi! Take them out!"_

"He's fine," Nanako said. "Come on, let's get to it."

Ryuji groaned and studied while they waited for Joker to free them. 


End file.
